The League Reassembles
by Piccolo Sky
Summary: Complete. Sequel to "The League of Extraordinary Anime". NOT a parody. New members. New foes. Same mission.
1. Many Happy Returns

Yes, I decided to repost this one as well. However, I'm making some changes in an attempt to reduce the content and get it a T rating. I also have an announcement for the few faithful readers I still have out there...

I recently started some polls on my account as well as a forum. My forum's first topic that I put up was a history of how "The Servant", my big FF crossover, was written. I'm not sure how many "The Servant" readers also read my "LXA" series, but this was the best way to get the word out. I mentioned in the forum that I had a "primordial" version of parts of "The Servant" that I based the new version off of, but with many changes. Just recently...I found a few old fragments of that original story, as well as a one-shot I did called "Brothers" which was the original version of the first Wyvern battle. I'm writing to ask how many people would like to actually see the old version. Odds are I'll fill myself with shame...but I'd like to show how the story evolved, at least in part. So if you'd like to see it, I'll construct a new poll for that purpose and feature it on my profile. Please respond. :(

Now, let's get the formalities out of the way, shall we?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, places, or devices that pertain to Tenchi Muyo, Vampire Hunter D, Hellsing, Akira, Wolf's Rain, Lupin the Third, Read Or Die, Spirited Away, or any of the countless other Animes that get cited over the course of the following fanfic...so please don't sue me. I have no money. :(

For those of you who don't know, this is a sequel to my earlier work, "The League of Extraordinary Anime".

First of all, I fear I contracted a severe case of "sequelitis", in which my sequel will be far more lackluster compared to the original. I hope you all enjoy it none the less.

Second, for those of you who are seeing this for the first time, you'll want to go back and read "The League of Extraordinary Anime". Don't worry if you didn't like the movie, because this story is more of a massive crossover than a parody or knock-off of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Third, for those of you that didn't see an Anime you liked in the original, you're in luck! A few new Animes debut in this story, particularly since there are a few vacancies in the League (see original story) that need to be filled. Some of the references will smack you over the head, while some are more subtle...

Fourth...there are a couple of particular Animes in this story of which I have very limited knowledge. I extensively referenced them, but the truth of the matter is most of my knowledge of these Animes are based off of clips I watched and online research. If you see some characters acting extremely OOC, tell me about it and I can change them to make them more accurate.

Fifth, this fanfiction was originally rated M. This is a more "sterilized" version, but it may still be borderline. You've been warned.

Sixth...to the VHD purists, D's story is muddled from the novels, and a certain relationship with a certain someone is very unlikely. Please bear with it.

That said...enjoy!

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**The League Reassembles**

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Chapter One

_May 5, 2017 – Tokyo, Japan_

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The dhampire continued to run forward, never letting his quarry get out of his sight. Ahead of him, he could see the sloped, twisted figure of his prey hunched over, bearing a load behind him with some difficulty. Even holding it, and young as this one had to be, he was still incredibly fast. Anyone else would have long since given up. But D was a bit special…

D's long boots continued to slosh through the foul muck at his feet. Despite having waded through far worse, the dhampire still didn't enjoy going through the foul fecal remnants that seemed to linger in the nauseating place. But to an inexperienced vampire with no class and a primary motivation for self-preservation, darkness was dark. And in a sewer, the thing had easy access to his victims, or in this particular case victim. However, to D it was also the first place to look. Finding it had not been a problem, and sure enough his target had been waiting for him. Now, through the dark recesses of the public sewage system, both the hunter and prey were engaged in their race.

The monster turned a corner up ahead, vanishing temporarily from D's view. However, as he dashed forward, his keen ears picked up the sound of shifting metal overhead. After a moment, he heard it shift back as well. Obviously, the thing was trying to escape through a ceiling. D rounded the corner a moment later, and sure enough his target was gone. If the vampire hadn't been so sloppy, D's experience with more skilled vampires might have led him to search the shadows to see if he was in a trap. Among the very intelligent vampires, they might have been hiding there anyway and still have given D the impression they went through the ceiling. But D knew what he was dealing with. He looked up, and sure enough there was a small grating high overhead at the end of a rung ladder. Not wasting a second, the hunter seized the rungs and immediately ran up to the small grating.

Once there, D quickly pushed it out of the way with one punch from a gloved hand, and a moment later his tall, dark body was flying out of the opening and landing on the ground standing up. Emerging slowly would have been foolhardy. It could have been an ambush. Once again, however, D had overestimated his foe. The target was already gone. And so, D took in a moment to look at his surroundings instead.

It appeared to be an old, broken down warehouse. Not all that grand to one of the higher vampires, but to a lower one like this it would suffice. He had at least taken the precaution of finding a dark enough spot. The place was filled with trash. The walls had holes from rot and rats. The metal in the area was rusted, and traces of what had to be transient visitors were present. But all of the doors were well shut up. Rags had been stuffed in the cracks to prevent any chance of light entering. The windows were covered with boards and the cracks had been taped over. Most importantly, however, he saw a set of rusty, warped stairs leading up to a second level. And more importantly than that, he saw two sets of feet abruptly vanish up to that level, not making so much as a sound.

D didn't waste a moment. Immediately, he turned and began to rush up after the feet as well. He ran to the stairs and ascended. For any human, the stairs probably would have creaked and groaned terribly. But D too managed to climb without making a noise. He was not in time to see his quarry's feet vanish around the turn at the top of the stairs, but D sensed the vibrations in the wind as his wide-brimmed-hat-covered-head poked up into the second floor. Right to his left, in what appeared to be a closed-off room, D knew his prey had taken refuge. In no time at all, he was at the top of the stairs, and turning a corner. He went straight to the door, and as he reached back to seize his nodachi, he kicked it open freely with one swift thrust of his right boot.

Moments later, D entered the room. Just framed outside the doorway, he froze and surveyed his situation darkly. This room was even more filthy and infested than downstairs. All of the paint was peeling, and a large hole of rot and rat gnawing was growing in the back of the room. A single window was in the room, but it had been covered by thick, opaque, black blankets hanging from the curtain rod, effectively blotting out all but very dim light. He also saw an open coffin lying on the ground, brimming with dirt. So, he had found the vampire's "inner layer", if such a pathetic sight could even be called that. Looking at the coffin, he realized that it was a particular make from the 1970's. Hence, this one had to have been a vampire long enough to learn a few tricks of the trade, but wasn't nearly old enough to have their legendary wisdom. It was small wonder he had made so many obvious mistakes.

He was, of course, taking the stance of a vampire's classic last pose. The younger ones always did this in the end. He couldn't recall how many times he had seen them try this very move. The pale-skinned creature had backed up close to the wall, and had his hostage braced in front of him like a shield. He held her up with one powerful arm. The hostage was in fact D's client, a reasonably young woman, wearing part of a business suit. The jacket had been discarded and she wore only the shirt with the lower half. The short black hair was the most distinguishing thing about her. Her eyes were glazed over and empty, and her head hung loosely to one side. The foul creature behind her hovered its fangs over her neck over two somewhat scar-like teeth marks. It panted with exhaustion from the long chase, breathing its foul breath down on her.

"You take one step closer hunter…and I tear her throat out." The thing hissed in anger.

In response to this, an old laugh went out from the vicinity of D's left hand. "Oh for goodness sake, D...could it get any easier than this?"

D didn't answer, although the vampire's head turned to some irritation at that, and he pressed his teeth closer after hearing the rebuttle. Under the right circumstances, this might be a bad situation. Especially since the vampire had at least had the foresight to hypnotize his victim. Now she wouldn't resist or try to escape if an opening came. Aiming a good hit was hard if the vampire had enough skill. It wouldn't matter if its head was clear now; in another second it could easily bring its victim's head in front of the blow. Fortunately, for D's client, this would be easy.

D slowly loosened his fingers off of the hilt of his nodachi. Slowly, he began to pull them back down along his coat to rest at his side. The vampire grinned eagerly at this, thinking that it had actually managed to get the hunter to back down. However, that was far from what D was planning. The moment his hand was down, he grasped a small item tucked just inside one of the folds of his coat. A moment later, his hand shot out like a flash.

It was only due to the vampire's superior reflexes that he was even able to see what D did. In the blink of an eye, D had pulled out a small wooden needle and had thrown it at inconceivable speeds. The vampire paused and gagged, thinking for sure its head had just been impaled or that in a moment it would start bleeding from its neck or heart. However, it felt neither of those things. In fact, it felt rather fine. That was when it turned its head to the side, realizing he had seen the needle go that way. Moments later, his eyes rested on where it was. It had embedded itself in the curtain rod, having been flung so hard that it dented in the rod as well as the fixture it was on.

The thing grinned in delight and turned back to D. "You missed."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." D calmly answered…as the curtain rod fell apart, dropping the black cloth and bathing the vampire in sunlight.

D watched calmly as he saw the monster throw its victim to the ground in agony, then spasmed wildly and screamed. Already, its flesh was beginning to peel and burn all over it. Its eyes turned red and black, and seemed to sink into its skull. Its hair was lit aflame, and the spreading heat lit its scanty clothes on fire as well. The flesh as well as the skin began to peel off his skeleton, and soon his skull was exposed with razor-sharp teeth embedded in the skull. Those bones too began to wither and grow brittle, collapsing and breaking off as the sunlight bathed it. The things arms and legs fell off yet, but still the sun bathed it. The death scream seemed to be dried out, and then vanished due to lack of vocal chords or even a spine. At last, the few remains of skeleton collapsed to the ground, and crumbled into dust. Only the clothing and dust remained now.

D calmly walked over to the curtain next, wincing a bit in the bright glare. The vampire hadn't even bothered keeping track of time. It was dawn for at least two hours now. It had almost been too easy. At any rate, D pulled his weapon out from the remains of the curtain rod and replaced it. As he did, he heard his client begin to stir and turn on the ground. The spell was broken over her, and D soon saw the scars of the bite vanish on her neck in the sunlight as well. Moments later, the woman got up to all fours, and then looked around in confusion. She turned and looked back to D at that, and gaped a little.

"You…"

"The vampire is dead, Ms. Ling." D calmly responded. "Your curse is broken."

The woman blinked and stared in stunned silence for a moment. But then, the reality of what happened, and what must have happened, settled in. She looked around in puzzlement for a while, gasping a bit at the place and the coffin. But then, she turned to the pile of still-smoldering ash on the ground. She gasped a bit louder at that, and quickly got to her feet and backed away from it…towards D.

"Is that…?"

"What's left of him." D answered.

The woman turned and stared at D blankly for a few moments. Her eyes were still frozen in shock at all that had transpired. But then, her eyes suddenly flooded with tears, and she dove forward and threw her arms around the hunter.

"Thank you… Oh, thank you…!" She sobbed. She held him for a moment and just cried against him, grateful to be alive, overjoyed that she was at last free. "You…I don't…oh, thank you!"

The old voice croaked again. "Lady, it wasn't that hard..."

D didn't react with the slightest bit of emotion to this display. He remained perfectly straight, tall, and cold. He allowed a few moments to pass as she sobbed against him and composed herself. In the end, she sniffled, wiped her eyes, and then leaned back away. She rubbed her nose and sniffled again, and then looked up to D. Seeing his cold demeanor, she was a bit unnerved. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't share her joy, or be responsive. It was probably because D had already seen it happen at least a hundred times. This made her uneasy, but then she nodded.

"Yes, of course. You want your fee…"

With that, the woman reached into her suit pocket. She fumbled around for a moment for the envelope she had placed there last night. A moment later, she drew it out, a bit wrinkled and swollen, and handed it to the hunter. D paused a moment, but then stretched out his gloved hand and took the envelope. Despite how genuine her gratitude seemed, D didn't always trust clients. He had been stiffed about 15 percent of the time. And so, he looked down, opened the top of the envelope, and began to ruffle through what was there. Ten thousand yen bills…fifty of them.

"Five hundred thousand yen?" The woman asked, seeing if there was a problem. "That was the agreed price, right?"

The old voice spoke again, under its breath this time, so even the lady couldn't hear it. "Technically we've been working on this two days, lady, so you owe us another five hundred thousand. Then again…that was one of the easiest ones we've ever done…"

"…Right."

With that, D closed the envelope and tucked it away inside his coat. He stood there like a statue afterward. The woman stared at him, and her joy continued to fade and be replaced with a new look. Her appearance, in some ways, soon seemed more glazed over than it had been while under the vampire's control. Her eyes seemed to focus on his face...waiting and hoping. But D gave her nothing. In the end, her eyes lowered, now showing a hint of disappointment... The woman swallowed, and looked around the room uneasily.

"So…um…how do we get out of here?"

"…Front door, downstairs. You should step out first."

"…Right."

A moment later, the woman began to back out. She didn't want to turn her back on D. She looked up to his face hopefully one or two more times, but he didn't change. Once she was close enough to the door, however, she turned and reluctantly walked away. She walked calmly at first, but soon her footsteps began to pick up speed. Moments later, D heard her creaking down the stairs.

With that, D began to calmly walk out as well, not minding the coffin or the ashes. He had doubts that anyone would ever do anything with them again, other than smash them to bits when the building was condemned. Soon, however, he had exited the room and made his own way to the stairs. He began to calmly descend it soon after, and reached the bottom silently. He turned and began to make his own way to the front door.

It was there, however, that he stopped. His client was still there. She had managed to get the front door open, but now she was frozen in the morning daylight. D didn't see immediately what had made her stop, but he soon heard chatter from outside. It sounded like police radios, and he thought he could see several lights turning around out there. From the looks of it, the police had surrounded the place. And now Ms. Ling was frozen in the doorway, wondering what was going on. No commands were being sent out, however, so obviously whoever was outside hadn't made a move yet.

"Hmph. Guess it's back to the sewer with us…" The old voice muttered.

"…You can go if you want. I'm going out the front door." D simply answered.

"What? Now wait a minute, D. There could be cops out there. You know how they always ask questions about us vampire hunters. They may want to know what we did with the body. And it's always such a pain to break out of prison…"

"…After that encounter, I'm a little bored."

And so, D calmly approached the doorway as well. More light spilled in as he neared, and the burning orb glanced him in the face. D winced and lowered his hat slightly to keep it out, but he also kept looking forward at what was going on outside. As he drew nearer, he began to make out more distinct shapes and people around. Yet he wasn't able to get the full picture until he finally got right behind Ms. Ling and surveyed the situation for himself.

The area was indeed filled with some kind of officers. They were all heavily armored, looking to be able to stand up to severe attacks and pressure. There were severely armored wagons and cars surrounding the area, looking to not be merely the local police. Many of the officers were hiding behind their vehicles, and had guns out and pointed at the entrance. However, they weren't any normal weapons. D noticed that they were especially high powered…weapons designed so that someone like him would feel them and probably be killed by them before he could regenerate. The street had already been cleared of traffic. There were at least twenty people out here, and eight cars, in addition to one helicopter having landed. If all of this wasn't enough, there were people behind the rows of officers that seemed to be regarding everything pretty casually. D's eyes went straight for two of them in particular. Both of them were dressed in long coats, although the male of the two was far more flamboyant and colorful looking. A pair of yellow sunglasses were pushed hard against his face, and a wide red hat was pushed low on his head. To his side, a bit older woman with pale blond hair, circular lens glasses, and a cold, calm demeanor was discussing things. However, on seeing D exit, she immediately froze in the middle of what she was doing.

Ms. Ling was paralyzed with shock and fear. She stood there frozen in the doorway, unable to move. D, however, calmly lowered a hand and touched her shoulder. His strong grip snapped her out of it, and in a flash of fear she turned and saw D towering over her.

"…Go home."

Ms. Ling paused and blinked for a moment, a longing now in her eyes that she saw him at her side again, but D's voice was not to be denied. Swallowing, she turned and immediately ran down the steps and ran off down the street. Several of the officers looked up to her in puzzlement at this, and turned a bit to their leader. The pale-haired woman leveled an annoyed gaze at D, as if she knew he had done that on purpose. After that, she said something to her side to one of the men around her. This one nodded, and immediately turned and set about having a car meet that woman at the end of the block, take her in, and make sure there wasn't so much as a vampire's hair on her.

The woman inhaled sharply and continued to glare at D. The hunter, on his part, lowered his head a little, and tipped his hat slightly to her.

"…Integra Wingates Hellsing."

The woman paused in response to that, and at last spoke back coldly. "Aren't we forgetting something?" She asked.

D paused a moment, and then added one more thing.

"…Madame."

A cackle of glee went out from D's left hand as Integra struggled with all her might not to turn a shade red. There weren't many men alive who would dare not call her "Sir". Her red-clothed companion grinned at seeing her bulster, revealing much sharper and more monstrous fangs than those of the creature he had just killed.

"Whenever something goes wrong, I should have known you'd be behind it." Integra murmured to the dhampire. "You have a knack for ruining a perfectly planned operation. I don't suppose you have a reason why I shouldn't have _you_ restrained and incarcerated instead?"

"…You're a long way from Britain, Madame." D calmly replied. One of the few things he was glad that he could hold over the red suited figure was that he didn't have to answer to her…unlike him. He saw her bristle again as he gave her that name. "When last I looked, you had no legal authority in Japan."

Before Integra could respond, the red suited man calmly raised a hand to his own hat and gave a tip to D. "Good morning, D." He calmly addressed. "We've actually run into each other twice in one decade." He grinned his massive, monstrous teeth again. "People are going to start talking…"

"I have enough to act on behalf of the Japanese government concerning cases such as yourself." Integra continued. "Which is more than I can say for you. Last _I_ looked, you don't have legal authority anywhere. And technically you're still committing murders."

But neither D nor Integra's friend were paying her any mind. In another situation, Alucard, the man in red, would have been content to stand by and allow Integra to handle this. After all, he was the subordinate. But not with this particular case. Alucard had a particular interest in him, and deep down inside, he knew that D had that same interest back at him. They made a rather interesting pair.

"…I see Ms. Seras has decided to let you handle this one yourself." D spoke up, ignoring Integra again.

"This time of the day can be so bad for her youthful complexion." Alucard answered with that same insidious smile.

Integra looked to her subordinate, and then back at D. She was still struggling to suppress her anger and keep her cool demeanor, but if even Alucard was intent on driving her up the wall, she wasn't going to take it. She turned back to D and scowled, then waved at him. "I don't have time for this sh't. Take him."

Before the nearest officer could move a single foot toward the dhampire, D spoke up again. This time, he did address the woman. "…I was just doing my job, and your job for you, I might add. There wasn't much time for you to worry about breaking in slowly and countering him. And if your friend had his way…" D turned slightly to Alucard, but then back to Integra. "…I'm sure that he would have been content to put a bullet through Ms. Ling's heart en route to the vampire's."

Alucard grinned again. "Probably."

"So now you think of yourself as the hero?" Integra darkly answered, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "I don't know how many years you've been at this, but times have changed since Feudal Japan and the Wild West. A vigilante isn't much more than just a common thug nowadays. If you feel like being a law man, then do what everyone else does and join your local service. Anything else, and I don't care if you parked illegally to get to a vampire. You're a criminal as well. You stick with the law or you face the consequences. I don't care if you're a dhampire or not, I'm not letting you dictate the rules to me just to accommodate your thoughts on what's the right thing to do."

D paused for a brief moment in response to this diatribe. However, in the end, he responded calmly.

"…I wonder if you would have said the same thing to Martin Luther."

Now Integra's face really did turn a shade red. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, and Alucard had to struggle not to let out a small chuckle at it. The fierce woman turned her head down to the officers, and immediately extended out to point at the dhampire. "Kill him."

Immediately, everyone zeroed in on D's heart and fired their weapons. However, D was a bit faster than that. The mere time it took for a command to reach a human's brain and the signal to reach an effector muscle was more than enough for him. In one nimble movement, he crouched to the ground and then leapt straight up into the air. Huge bullets ripped apart the doorway and bricks behind him, soon tearing the front of the building into rubble. A few of the shots followed him up as he leapt into the air, but they were too slow. Besides, many of the people were unfamiliar with dhampires. They were expecting a mostly human opponent…not one that easily leapt three stories into the sky. As D sailed past the roof, he nimbly performed a midair back flip, and a second later landed right on top of the building. As he did, the gunmen turned their heads up and began to fire, but it was too late. He turned and vanished over the building edge almost the moment that they began.

"Same old Integra, eh D?"

D ignored the hand as he proceeded to use his superhuman speed to carry him along the roof to the edge of it. Once there, he quickly leapt over and jumped onto the next roof. He ran along this, and moments after he leapt again, this time sailing over a four lane urban street. But he cleared it as easily, and soon was running on the next roof to repeat the process.

In modern times, the profession of vampire hunting was not only non-lucrative, but it was quickly becoming regimentalized. Case in point was Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing. She was the head of the Hellsing Agency in Britain, an organization that dated back decades that was devoted to keeping the government safe from supernatural creatures such as vampires and ghouls. They had quickly and effectively exterminated every non-migrant vampire on the island shortly after becoming mainstream…quick being a relative term for an immortal like D. However, they had quickly shown low tolerance for the dhampire's own line of work. He too was in the vampire hunting trade, but just as law men disdained bounty hunters for taking justice into their own hands, so had the Hellsing Agency tried to drive him permanently off the island for his occupation. He couldn't confirm it, but he might have actually been a wanted man in that country.

Yet D knew that their success was due largely to the efforts of one particular member: a ridiculously powerful vampire named Alucard. He was one of the most vicious, arrogant, merciless, and sadistic vampires D had ever met. But so long as he kept that homicidal path toward killing members of his own kind, and somehow remained under the thumb of Hellsing, Integra didn't mind having him along doing the dirty work. Control, D knew, was the key issue in why Integra hadn't turned those officers on Alucard long ago. More than being good at what he did, the vampire remained Hellsing's servant. If it was simply a matter of good intentions, Alucard would have been out long ago. D knew for a fact that the vampire had killed more than his share of innocents in the line of duty…some of them, perhaps, even intentionally… No…D knew the real reason that he was on one end of Integra's barrel and Alucard was on the other was because she couldn't control the dhampire the way she did Alucard. And for a dhampire like him to be on the loose, that was a potential liability.

Now, it seemed, with the original objective completed, Hellsing was expanding its borders. It was moving into other countries now, being brought in by the governments to control vampire problems as well. That made D's job harder as well. Integra could be a hard woman. If she didn't have a vampire under control, she didn't want it around at all. The fact that Ms. Seras was under Alucard himself was probably the reason why the young vampress was still alive. D, however, knew that while they might be fighting for the same cause, he could never risk exchanging more than a few words with Sir Hellsing, and had to avoid as much contact as possible.

After running for five minutes, D had put about three miles between him and the Hellsing Agency. He was still on the roofs at this point, and hadn't alerted anyone besides a few pigeons. He felt himself start to get winded at that. Luckily it was still early, but doing this much physical activity in the sun began to weigh down on him. As a dhampire, he could tolerate broad daylight, but not indefinitely. Unlike other vampires, he was not tied to his native soil. But if he spent too much time in the sun, he too would have to bury himself just like his more bloodsucking half-brethren. He decided he had exerted himself enough. He came to the edge of one building, and found that it conveniently was close enough to the other to make a rather dark alley. He paused and looked down it for a moment, seeing that other than trash, a dumpster, and several shadows, there was nothing down there. He paused for a moment, but then squatted again, and moments later his black trench coat unfurled as he fluttered down into the alleyway.

D silently hit the ground a moment later. He crouched for a moment…and froze. He sensed something here. A cold…icy feeling… He could almost smell the death on the air. He did not gulp or show any signs of anything, but after a moment he slowly stood up, aware that a prickling sensation was already touching his neck.

"…Hello again, D."

D didn't express anything, but he didn't need to. He didn't even bother turning around or looking surprised. He already knew what was there. Sure enough, out of one of the especially dark shadows, the tall, red-suited form of Alucard slowly emerged. D didn't bother turning around immediately. He held where he was, before he finally responded calmly and slowly.

"…I wasn't aware that you could move that fast in daylight."

"The Hellsing organization has been working on a special chemical that creates the effect of simulated darkness and simulated daylight." Alucard calmly explained. "Obviously, it works. Then again, I wasn't foolish enough to run across the rooftops, but I stayed low where the shadows are."

D at last turned around. As he did, he indeed saw that the tall, red-dressed vampire stood before him. He was a good head taller than D. However, if one stared and got a good look at both of their faces, they would realize something strange. It was almost as if they were looking at two sides of the same coin. Both of them had faces that were remarkably similar to one another's. But while D's face was calm, composed, and cool, Alucard's face flashed with maliciousness, bloodlust, and violence.

"I thought you'd at least want to talk with me, after last time." Alucard finally stated.

"Are you really interested in what else a…'mere dhampire'…has to say?" D simply answered.

Alucard grinned. "Don't worry. I still think dhampires are perversions of my race, if you thought I was beginning to respect you."

D stared coldly back. "Humans…dhampires…even lesser vampires… Is there anything in the world you do respect?"

"Only myself." Alucard answered plainly, not at all miffed by D. "You never did approve of me, D. That much is clear from your lifestyle. But I get the impression there's something else that has made you upset. Enlighten me."

D stared silently back in response. Alucard, who frightened all living and good creatures, didn't so much as make his heart accelerate. He paused for a brief moment, looking over the thing before him, and finally spoke. "…You shouldn't have done that to her."

Alucard hesitated only the slightest moment, before he remembered their last encounter. He then knew what D was talking about, and answered simply. "I gave her the choice, same as always."

"You knew what she would pick."

"Perhaps."

"You knew she was too young to have an appreciation for death, and so you knew she would choose your twisted version of life."

"It's a little late for regrets now, isn't it?" Alucard answered with another malicious grin. "Why do you care?"

D hesitated only a moment. "…Because I feel you plan to do the same thing to her that you did to Mina."

Alucard did pause at this. He seemed to stew over these words for a few moments, and his smile toned down a bit though it would not vanish. After a moment, he stared harder at D through his yellow lenses. "…I think I preferred you when you were emotionless, D. You're beginning to whine like _they_ do."

"Your master knows that you're far worse than the ones you've hunted." D continued. "When this is all over, she'll be the first to stab you through the heart."

"And since when have you cared?" Alucard calmly answered, not at all threatened by this premonition. "I know full well that if one ever hired you for it, you'd gladly find me and finish me in record time. At least…you'd try." He hinted this last part with an especially strong air of challenge.

"…I don't know about you." D said after a bit of a pause, in an air of finality.

"Oh?" Alucard calmly answered. "How so?"

"You work for Hellsing. You hunt your own kind. Until now, I accepted the excuse that you were doing it out of your own selfish arrogance that not only did humans deserve to die at your hand, but all lesser vampires as well. I also perhaps thought that somehow the Hellsing family had managed to enslave you. However, that seems unlikely, as your own pride would make you die before you were forced to serve a human. I've captured several vampires much lesser than you alive, and each one impaled themselves through the heart rather than allowed themselves to be the sport of humanity. If I had to guess, based on what I know about you, I'd say you are content to be the servant of a human for now, but that you feel that they are currently headed on a path toward self-destruction. You believe their whole society will collapse within the next hundred years or so. And when it does, you'll be ready to pick up the pieces and establish yourself as the new world order."

Alucard didn't shift in the least to this accusation…or prediction. He merely stared back calmly at D, still smiling. "…Now that sounds like a good idea." He answered at long last. "I don't suppose you care to do something about it, do you?"

D did nothing in response. However, his fists slowly tightened. A cold silence went between the two of them. The air seemed to suddenly grow far more dangerous.

Alucard grinned a bit wider. "You don't honestly think you can beat me in a fight, do you D?"

"…In terms of matching your power, I am outclassed." D calmly answered. "But I still know all your moves, and how to get around them."

Alucard paused in response, but then slowly raised a gloved hand to his glasses and pulled them down slightly, revealing his monstrous, ravenous yellow eyes. "Only because I taught you how." He finally answered. "It would be an interesting match. I haven't encountered anyone who has even come close to killing me in almost one hundred and fifty years. However, I have a different plan in mind." He paused for a moment at this, and then turned his head slightly to the side. "How would you like to hang out with 'dear old dad' for a little while?"

D stared darkly back in response, but remained silent and tensed. "…Why would I care to do that?"

"Because I know you, D, far better than you know, or think you know, me." Alucard responded smoothly. "You've painted a lovely picture of me. And perhaps that's what you believe. But you don't believe it all together. Something isn't right to you. I can see the uncertainty in your eyes and hear it on your voice. Much as you mask it, it exudes forth like water from an old barrel. It makes you even more sickeningly human than I thought. But never the less, it fills you with curiosity. You want to know if your suspicions are correct. You want to know if I'm really the monster that you think I am, and if I have purely selfish reasons for aiding Hellsing. You want to see if there's another motive underneath."

D said nothing in response for a moment. "…Are you so sure?"

"I _know_ it." Alucard answered. "Because you're wondering if I had the exact same motivation concerning your mother."

D did not answer that. He stayed silent and emotionless under his hat. However, Alucard knew he had struck a note with that, and his white fangs glistened in delight at sensing the change within D's stoic exterior.

"…What about Sir Hellsing?"

Alucard's grin faded into a smile, and he snorted. "She ordered me to bring you back dead or alive. She didn't specify when. So it really is up to you, dhampire. Either we go off together…or we begin the process of 'negotiating' your surrender." As if to accentuate this last part, Alucard began to dip one of his hands down to his side.

However, there was no need for that. D paused for only a moment longer to this. But then, he reached a decision. His fists relaxed, and he calmly stepped over to one side. He never changed his expression once. Alucard cracked another grin at this, and promptly raised his hand off his side, letting his gigantic pistol remain within his coat for the time being. With that done, he took another step out of the shadows, and gestured onward.

"Shall we be off?"

* * *

The universe's most reknown genius continued to type furiously in her lab. Her latest experiment was nearly ready.

The small girl swiveled around on what appeared to be an invisible chair made of energy that hovered in midair. She encircled and slowly descended around a particularly large object in her lab. Smooth blue metal floors and ceilings surrounded her, but quite a few large cables and bits of machinery snaked around from everywhere else into the room center. There, suspended inside a great yellow sphere of energy, was what appeared to be nearly a full grown tree. However, the tree wasn't growing in any soil. Rather, the roots were suspended in midair as well, as if there was an invisible medium that they were penetrating. Nevertheless, there was ample room for the tree to grow up and out and fan in all directions. Of particular interest to the girl scientist encircling the tree, however, was a large natural hole that appeared to have grown into the center of the tree for one or another reasons. It obviously led only into the tree's interior, but it was so black and open at the moment that it appeared to almost lead to oblivion.

A screen and a keyboard were also suspended in front of the scientist, although there were no signs of a monitor or cords leading to the main keyboard. As she continued to type furiously, she frequently looked up and over to the tree, as if expecting the strange organism to do something unexpected. However, seeing nothing, she went back down and typed further. At last, her hovering chair reached ground level, and after a few more moments, she stopped her work. A large set of alien characters suddenly came up on her screen, as well as two options. However, Chibi Washu was quite fluent in Jurai, and could read them easily.

_Commit? Yes/No_

Washu grinned, exposing small fangs, and then like a gleeful child reached up and snapped her fingers. In a flash, goggles seemed to materialize out of thin air over her head, and she quickly grasped them and pulled them down. Then, she quickly entered 'yes' and leaned back to watch the fun.

Immediately, a great humming went out throughout the chamber. It began to get louder and more frequent as time went on. As it did, small lights began to travel through the conduits and the machinery that surrounded the room. They too grew in light and brilliance as time continued to pass. All of this created an interesting effect around the tree. Abruptly, small waves appeared to radiate off of it. They started at the trunk, traveled down the branches, and all the way to the leaves before casting off light. They did so again and again, and each time the light grew a bit stronger. It wasn't long before rays of light were cascading off the tree, and growing brighter each time. The humming grew louder, and the lights grew bigger and bigger. But Washu, through it all, stared eagerly into the center of the tree, right into the black spots. She balled her hands into eager fists, and clenched her teeth in anticipation.

The humming finally grew very loud, and the light became blinding. Then, abruptly, the humming stopped, and instead a great blasting sound erupted that sounded almost like ripping. Immediately, the black space in the center of the tree was destroyed as pure, radiant, white light erupted from it. A tremendous blast shot out and bathed Washu in light, and soon despite the goggles she was blinded. She recoiled a bit and winced, and nearly raised her arms up to shield herself as the huge eruption took place. But then, as soon as it had come, the eruption vanished. The light dimmed back down. Her machinery hummed again, but this time was slowing down, showing that it was calming back to its original state.

Washu recoiled a moment later, but then opened her eyes and looked back. After a pause, she reached up to her head and pulled off her goggles. Then she got a clear look at what had happened.

"Ugh…where the hell…!"

Suspended in the yellow sphere now, just outside the black opening, was a young-man with yellow bestial eyes, long gray dog-like hair, pointed animal ears, and a long red kimono. He opened his fanged mouth and groaned, looking quite disgruntled, bewildered, and confused as to why he was suddenly there. In fact, it looked as if he was about to get rather angry that he was floating in midair and nowhere around where he was a moment ago. But then, he looked up and out, and saw the small scientist seated at her desk. Immediately, both of their eyes widened at the sight of each other, although the young man's eyes widened much larger.

"Oh shoot!" Washu griped.

"Oh no!" Inuyasha, the young man, whined. "Not you again! Anything but you again!"

Washu seemed to ignore the hanyou and turned down to her keyboard. She began to type a few things on it, and look at the information. "Hmm…everything seemed to work ok. My calculations held out…"

"What in God's name am I doing here!" Inuyasha angrily bellowed, immediately throwing his arms about madly within his suspended prison. "What are _you_ doing here! You're supposed to be two hundred years in the future!"

"Oh, I am, Fido." Washu calmly answered from her workstation, never looking up. On hearing her old pet name for him, Inuyasha bristled with rage and began to fume and boil over. He _hated_ that name. "You're the stray dog in this case. You came into the present. Or at least, my present. Time can be so relative once your race invents time travel…"

"Alright…what am _I_ doing here!" Inuyasha soon scowled in response. "I was minding my own damn business listening to that stupid girl complain about me working her too hard, and all of the sudden I'm weightless and in this damn…" He turned and looked around a bit at the area, and soon he realized he had no idea what anything was. That only made him madder. "Where the hell am I, anyway?"

Washu frowned at her screen again, and gave a sigh. "Well, nuts." She finally admitted. "I guess this experiment is a failure."

Inuyasha picked up on this, and immediately his face grew red as a beet. Clenching his teeth in anger, he seethed out another question. "What do you mean, 'experiment'…?"

Washu held a moment, but then cheerfully turned back to Inuyasha, looking as if she hadn't minded…or heard…any of his angry insults or bits of rage. "It seems I've run into a scientific stumbling block!" She announced merrily. "You see, I was fumbling through some of my samples when I noticed leaf matter that I picked up off your kimono years ago when we worked together. I realized in no time that it was from that 'time tree' that you spoke about, so I figured it would make a nice afternoon project to try and make one of my own. So I got the old cloning mechanisms out…synthesized a seed based on DNA evidence…provided ample growing conditions…spliced in my patented accelerated growth gene…yadda yadda yadda… In short, I finally had this brand new time tree grown. But apparently it doesn't work. You see, the time tree seems to take a bit from you when it goes to work and primes you to return to your original time period for the return journey. So instead of opening a portal back in time, I seemed to have made a gateway that pulled just _you_ into the future." She paused a moment at this, then smiled and gave a shrug. "Oh well! Kalatog made 54,724 warp engines that didn't work before he finally made something living travel past the speed of light…"

Inuyasha only seethed in anger again, and soon was thrashing about madly in midair. "Look, I don't care how you got me here, just _put me back!_"

Washu was now calmly typing away at her computer again. "Oh, no can do, Rover." She simply responded. "Seems this tree is only a one way exit. I could try to send you back, but the chronaton flux could rip you apart or make you exist at all frames of time speed at once in one second. There's only a one in forty-eight dodecillion chance of that other option happening, but if it does it will cause a temporal collapse that will rip apart the very fabric of the universe, so I think we won't take that chance…"

_"You can't send me back?"_ Inuyasha blasted in shock and rage.

Washu paused long enough to turn to Inuyasha and held up a finger in self pride. "There is nothing the great Chibi Washu cannot do!" She held a moment, but then put her finger down and gave an innocent shrug. "It'll just take me a few days to get it right."

"Then just take me to Kagome's house and I'll use the time tree there!" Inuyasha screamed in response.

Washu shook her head, and turned back to her work once again. "Sorry, Ol' Redder, but that won't work either. I told you already. If you're going to be traveling from a time that's not your time of origin to another time, you have to be primed by the tree to make the trip. If you don't, it won't work. We bypassed that step in our little demonstration today, so I'm going to have to find a way to reproduce it artificially to send you back."

Inuyasha looked ready to tear Washu's head off. He was practically foaming at the mouth, and a blood vessel looked like it had burst in his eye. He grit his teeth almost to the point of grinding them as he gazed bloody murder at Washu. Meanwhile, the scientist merely began to hum a tune to herself as she typed along on her computer.

_"Can you at least get me down from here!"_ He blasted in fury.

Washu looked up at this. "Huh?" She said, as if she was noticing it for the first time. But on seeing Inuyasha's predicament, she smiled. "Oh, certainly!" With that, she reached over and pressed a single button on her keyboard. The moment she did, Inuyasha's weight returned, and in a flash he dropped to the ground like a stone, sailing down a good twenty feet before smashing face flat against the ground with a considerably loud thud.

Washu smiled in response, and turned back to her work. In the meantime, Inuyasha slowly peeled himself off the ground and struggled not to tear Washu limb from limb.

* * *

It was a normal day on the busy streets of Tokyo. People were crowding and pushing as always, and generally making a large mess of things. Cars were running by and the occasional honk went out, creating loud noises to complement the already loud atmosphere created by the surrounding masses of advertisement that constantly blasted the public. The sun was high now, and the people were at their busiest. Yet it was getting close to lunchtime at this point, and so some were beginning to step out of their offices for the time being. That, of course, only made the streets busier and more chaotic. If two tourists had been planning a meeting anywhere in the town at that point, they would find it impossible. There were far too many citizens already running around to find one in the crowd, and far too many loud noises to be able to sort anything out if someone tried to call. On the average business day, too many people were running around their own businesses to be able to care much about anyone else.

That was what the one woman hoped as she slid into a chair at the outdoor table.

The black-haired young woman adjusted her glasses a bit more, and then lowered her arms to attempt to lengthen her rather revealing dress. She hated wearing such trashy outfits, but she had learned with experience that while spying this kind of attire actually helped out. It did make her stick out a bit more from the common crowd, but luckily such a thing was counter-intuitive. Anyone who was on the lookout for her wasn't expecting her to be conspicuous, but to try and blend in with the locals. What more…the more "loose" a person looked, the less inclined the surrounding people were to believe she was all that dangerous. And so, the unusually short and attractive dress stayed. However, she kept her sunglasses close over her eyes, and brushed back her recently cut hair. She found after all missions when she needed to be secretive, especially when she was being looked for, cutting one's hair was an easy way to throw off witnesses.

Fortunately, her target was just across the street from a local outdoor café. It was a rather warm day, so she had little trouble getting an outdoor table that was close to the street, so that nothing blocked her from seeing clear across it. She knew the waiter would be a few moments before she could order a drink, so she had time to look across the way to the building. The new Tokyo Metropolitan Library was just across the street, rather picturesque from Kei's location. It had been completed just last year. At the moment, however, what was of notice was that it was hosting its first major event. A collection of rare works recently discovered from a hidden vault in Italy, including one from Leonardo Da Vinci, was going to be on display starting today. That in and of itself wasn't all that shocking, but there was something else Kei had managed to pick up on recently…

Apparently, the books weren't the only interesting things in town from Europe. Two major, and rather classified, organizations had been heading into town as well. Through a bit of spy work and rubbing elbows with the right people, Kei had managed to pick up their names at least. One was the Hellsing Agency, although she had little idea of their intentions. The other, however, was obviously a dummy company, because their name was allegedly the Royal British Library's Division of Special Operations. That seemed utterly ridiculous to the woman. Why would a library need a special ops force? How stupid was the agent who thought up that code name? At any rate, the code name went well with whatever real mission concerned them. Some of their higher agents were supposed to be attending the Library today during the book unveiling.

Nothing about this boded well with Kei. Both of these organizations were supposedly filled with supernatural characters. This gave the woman the impression that her 'friend' from two years ago, a man named Gendo, was interested in reforming another little special group of operatives. And since she was well aware that she was one of the most dangerous women alive, she had small wonder who the target would be…

So preoccupied was the spy that she hardly noticed a more gangly man wander into the café area. She didn't see him stroll around with his lewd and cool mannerisms until he finally rested his eyes on her. When he did, a smile brightened his face, and enthusiasm seemed to course through him. In a flash, the man dashed over to her. He made enough noise in doing so that the spy heard him approach. Or rather…the woman sensed the air's charge begin to change as he entered near her own field of thoughts. Abruptly, she broke off of her stare at the Metropolitan Library and turned around as the man came to a stop behind her.

Immediately, she saw a sly looking man open his arms wide in front of her as if to embrace her. "Keity-pie!"

Kei's stoic face abruptly turned into a groaning look, as she rolled her eyes and felt sick to her stomach. She recognized that man all too well. "Oh no…" She groaned aloud, bringing a hand to her face and clutching her nasal bridge. "Not you…"

"Hey! Is that any way to greet your old pal Arsene Lupin?" The man chided in response. Immediately, without waiting for her to ask, or even for her to stop hanging her head down with a tired expression rubbing her forehead, he swirled himself around the table and practically leapt down into the chair. Once there, he immediately leaned over, folded his hands together, and then propped his head up on his elbows and hands as he leaned over and gazed dreamily at the spy. "So, how's my favorite psychic agent?"

Kei felt her teeth grit as her nausea was replaced by anger. She wheeled around to him angrily and struggled not to raise her voice above a harsh whisper. "Would you please not call me that! In case you haven't looked at the news for more than two minutes in the past two years, you'd realize I'm the most wanted person alive! Now go away before you blow my cover!"

"Oh, come on…" Lupin teased calmly, leaning back and giving an innocent shrug. "Don't be so cold. I kept my promise, didn't I? I got your husband out of the joint, and I even taught you some English."

"Yes, I remember." Kei moaned angrily in reply. "I also remember how I paid you back for that by busting out your friends, during which we both got thrown into jail, shocked half to death by their sadistic security guards, nearly blown up during the escape, and then ran from every officer in the country before having to disguise ourselves as senior citizens to get on a flight out of Japan, which got nearly shot down, redirected to Afghanistan, where we nearly got killed by the ethnic tribes and went three days without food or water through a burning desert before we finally reached a tapped phone that sent another army of police down on us, and I got shot _twice_ before we managed to replace some Red Cross workers and get out of the country!"

Lupin merely grinned and shrugged. "So things went a little wrong. But wasn't it a swell ride?"

Kei bristled with so much anger that her powers began to cast off a bit. Despite her amount of control…one of her sunglass lenses abruptly cracked. Lupin's cocky looked turned white as a sheet, and he gulped nervously.

"I _took_ one of the shots meant for _you_. Would you like it back?"

Lupin swallowed again, and put up his hands defensively. "Eh, no thanks. The doctor said I have enough iron in my diet as it is."

"Then get out of here before you screw _this_ mission up." Kei angrily responded, and then turned back to the library.

However, before anything else could happen, the waiter finally arrived. Kei felt herself moan inside. She couldn't get rid of Lupin while he was nearby. If she did, she would no doubt find a way to get conspicuous, and right now she wanted to play it incognito. As for the rogue, however, he seemed to see this as an opportunity. Instantly, he brightened up and turned to the waiter.

"Ah! There you are, my good man! I'll be handling the lady's drinks for this afternoon. I'll have a nice iced tea." With that, he turned to Kei next, who groaned under her breath that Lupin had just said that. It made him even harder to get rid of now without arousing suspicion. In truth, it wasn't just because of the complications with their last mission that made Kei despise Lupin. It was the fact that he was the most obnoxious, lewd, and egotistical man alive. His manners may have worked in the 70's, but she had a feeling he still didn't get it was the 10's. At any rate, he soon popped the inevitable. "And for you, miss?"

Kei grit her teeth and struggled to sound normal, and failed miserably.

"…Beer."

The waiter looked a bit unsettled at that response. He eyed the shaded woman with some apprehension, but then turned around and went about his business. Kei sighed loudly in response to this, and slumped down in her seat as if she was about to endure an hour lecture on grass growing. Lupin, on his part, casually leaned back, turned back to Kei, and grinned.

"Could you please leave?" Kei finally asked after a period of silence, not caring that her voice nearly sounded like begging at this point.

"Aw, come on." Lupin pressed in with a beaming smile. "You have to admit, I was a little fun to hang around with."

"I'd get my ex-boyfriend to knock that stupid grin off your face if I didn't want to do it myself." Kei groaned.

"Hey, that's not very lady like." Lupin scolded playfully. "Besides, maybe I can help out. You should know I'm the best at this kind of business."

"Why _are_ you in town anyway?" Kei finally asked, leaned up and looking tiredly at him. "You thinking of stealing those rare books?"

"Tempting as that is, it wouldn't really be fair." Lupin simply responded. "You see, when it comes to stealing priceless items, the real joy is in sidestepping all the security measures they have set up. That's the main thing that got me devoted to the biz. But when I've been undercover for so long, no one has had the chance to set up a really sophisticated trap to bypass. Before I get back to doing what I do best, I'm going to need to steal a few little things first in order to let them know who's back in town. But I can't really make my triumphant return without my old buddies."

Kei, for the first time, had her anger subsided by puzzlement. "What do you mean? We broke them out."

"Yeah…" Lupin nervously replied, rubbing the back of his head. "But, in case you haven't noticed, my boys were a little out of practice and into rheumatoid arthritis. I'm at my best, but they've gone on aging for forty years. And although I don't want to give them a sip from the ol' Fountain of Youth so that they've gone from Depends to Huggies, I still would like to find a way to get their youth back. I was researching a possible lead to a milder form of youth restoration today. I just stopped by to refresh myself when, low and behold, who should I find but everyone's favorite ESPer."

_And who should I find but the world's biggest louse._ Kei dismally thought. "Well then, it would be a shame to keep you." The spy responded. "Now please get out of here. I'm not going to tempt fate into hoping that two of the most wanted people on Earth can stay undercover for long if they sit together."

"Aw, come on!" Lupin whined in a boyish tone. "Can't you at least tell me what's going on?"

Kei paused and sighed again for a moment. She was silent for a second, looking back over to the front of the library. As she did, she was just in time to see something new. A motorcade was coming up the street. It had several dark luxury cars in it, but also quite a sizable escort including both regular police cars and motorcycles. The woman tensed up at this. It looked as if her targets were there at last. She was more than ready to get rid of Lupin now, but realized that if she tried to push him away he'd be more suspicious in an instant. And so, in the end, she turned back to him and tried to appease him.

"If you must know, then this is the thing. For some reason, two agencies from Britain are in town today. Both of them are dripping with signs of being dummy corporations, and I haven't been able to find them, or their objectives, listed anywhere. I did find that they supposedly have some sort of special agents working for them…ones with supernatural powers. And for some reason, both of them show up to Japan at the same time."

Lupin held his tongue for once and allowed Kei to describe this. He took in the words and regarded them with some genuine amazement. There was a time when he probably would have laughed the supernatural part off, but after tangling with a group of pseudo-monsters two years ago, he was a bit more of a believer. He turned and looked out to where Kei's interest had been led, and soon saw the motorcade. It was pulling right up to the library, and was coming to a stop there. Immediately, he turned back to Kei. "Oh, I get it." He replied with a knowing tone. "You think this exhibit is some sort of set-up for a meeting of these guys. And you're thinking our old pal Gendo is making another team of experts. But why would he be doing that? What target is as dangerous as Akira?"

Kei frowned and turned back to the thief. "…I think we're looking at them right now."

Lupin paused a moment, not getting this drift. But eventually it sank in, and he suddenly winced. Immediately, he began to gulp and sweat. However, Kei had to suppress a smile. It seemed to have the desired effect. Moments later, Lupin grinned sheepishly and nervously, and quickly began to rise from his chair. "Oh well…so sorry to get going so soon! I hate to cut meetings so short, you know." He spoke quickly. "Be a dear and pick up my tab, and I'll gladly compensate you next time I run into you spying on another organization…"

Kei began to sigh in relief, thinking she had finally got rid of the meddlesome thief. However, just as he began to rise and started to turn to leave…something happened that soon put Lupin and the agencies out of her mind.

A fat rocket shot through the air and struck the front of the library, and moments later a massive explosion went off.

Kei and Lupin were both suddenly thrown to the ground as a rush of heat, wind, and power bathed over them. The agents in front of the library were thrown down as well, and soon flaming pieces of stone debris began to rain down on them. The citizenry screamed in terror as they were flung down, and the moment they were free of the explosion they picked themselves off the street and began to flee away from the shot. The street was soon clearing itself as panicking individuals ran away as fast as they could. As for the library, fire and smoke bellowed forth from the explosion sight. As it cleared, it revealed a great gaping hole in the roof of it, exposing the two top floors and rows of bookcases filled to capacity. A few people ran in panic from the exposed area. It looked like one of those children books that had cross sections to allow the kids to see the details inside the building. As rocks continued to rain down, and the sounds of fire began to burn, the street went strangely silent from the sudden attack.

Kei grunted a bit from the ground, for the landing had been rough, and she slowly pushed herself up off of it. She didn't bother to look at Lupin, bent over himself and looking dazzled, but instead looked up to see what had happened. She didn't get long to, however, before she began to hear something else. A great whirring was coming from down the street. It was quickly getting louder…and Kei soon realized she had heard it before. It was the unmistakable sound of a tank. Immediately, she turned to see it, and gasped at the sight.

Kei was just in time to see an abandoned car turned into a pancake as a street-sized tread ran it over. More treads continued to roll forward, bearing along a massive obtuse cone-shaped tank. The device was huge. It filled the entire street, and still the edges of it dug into the buildings on the side, tearing huge rifts into them. It had to be at least four stories tall. Anything unfortunate enough to get in its path was routinely obliterated. It seemed to be sheer and without any openings. However, Kei soon saw this wasn't the case. A massive hatch opened from one side, and moments later not one, but six barrels came out arranged in a honeycomb formation. They rotated like a massive revolver and fired again. Moments later, a huge rocket tore out, this time sailing for the motorcade. Kei turned back, and saw that many of the people had already fled it. But those that didn't were soon trapped in another massive explosion. In one blast, each of the vehicles were cast aside like paper, and the central ones were obliterated. A geyser of broken pavement erupted from the latest fireball.

The massive tank didn't seem to mind any manner of resistance. It eventually reached the remains of the motorcade. A large crater was blasted into the ground by now, but it easily passed over it while grinding the rest of the cars into scrap. The huge weapon blocked Kei's view of the library, and ground to a halt. Huge steam vents blasted out as it stopped, and then the massive machine lumbered on and idled there.

Kei blinked in confusion at this, wondering why such a huge machine was stopped right in front of a library. Then, she began to wonder something else…

…_That Library Special Ops force wasn't for real…was it?_

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Checkout

Chapter Two

* * *

More panels opened on the huge tank. This time, a large area around the upper half of the cone opened. Huge pieces of metal siding bent straight up, and small metal platforms began to slide out. This happened on both the side facing the library and the opposite side. When that happened, it revealed what was within.

The area was filled with soldiers. They were covered from head to toe in some sort of silver armor. Although it looked lightweight and was possibly a plastic derivative, it seemed to plate and cover the soldiers as if it was some sort of futuristic version of medieval plate armor. Each one was helmeted with dark eye and mouth openings, making the helmets more mask-like than designed for actual protection. Each one bore large and high-tech weaponry, armed to the teeth with it. However, it too seemed lightweight, and they slung it around easily as they ran out to the edge of the platform. Immediately, cables were lowered to the ground, and in perfect military form they soon grabbed on and began to rapple themselves off the side of the huge tank.

Meanwhile, a space near the bottom opened up, and a ramp began to extend down as if large equipment was going to come out. As the landing soldiers took up a guard post around the area, they secured both sides of the tank to allow this to happen. Meanwhile, large panels opened up on other parts of the tank, and huge rotating weapons began to come out and aim in all directions. Unusual kinds of cannons and missile launchers accompanied areas for machine gun fire, and soon the huge machine was guarding a sizable area from intrusion.

The new soldiers had barely dismounted, however, when sparks suddenly burst off of their armor. It appeared that they weren't finished with resistance yet. Some of the survivors had taken position near the columns of the main library, and now were firing small arms off at the enemy. However, the new soldiers didn't seem to care much. Some of them took cover, before one with a particularly large gun, complete with some sort of power backpack, came out and took position. He raised up his weapon and aimed straight at the enemy, not caring about the stone columns that they were hiding behind. The defenders ducked behind the concrete, but the man fired anyway. Immediately, a red hot beam of energy shot out, pierced the stone as if it wasn't even there, and hit the person on the opposite side. The defenders, from where they were, gaped in shock. But the laserman didn't waste any time. He quickly marked the rest of them as well, and soon the last resistance was dead.

By this point, the bottom area was open. Immediately, more of the armored troops poured out. They seemed to have some commanders in charge of them, who were decorated with some color on their armor. They quickly pointed them around and gestured to them to go in several places. In addition, large artillery was pulled out. The strange weapons seemed to be made of huge rows of gun barrels, and were pushed along by the soldiers. Once out, they quickly brushed them out and into position. As more soldiers continued to fill the area, an order was soon given out in cold Japanese.

"Get inside and find the book."

As if in response, a troop of twenty soldiers began to fan out and move in to the entrance. They were on the lookout for more enemy units the whole way, but only dead bodies awaited them as they made their way up the stairs and to the main facility. However, as they passed by the concrete columns that framed the entrance, five of them turned and looked to see their handiwork. Soon after, they raised their weapons again, while other soldiers flooded into the library.

"Lieutenant!" One sounded in a much rougher, country-like tone. "We have a live one!"

"Take him." The lieutenant called in reply. "If he resists-"

But the lieutenant couldn't finish, because he was cut off by a scream of agony. At that moment, a white substance flew up from behind the soldier and smacked him in the face, and seemed to stick like glue. Yelling out, the man, now blinded, staggered back and waved his weapon to the side. Moments later, more white substances came out. One proceeded to cut his gun in half, while another tore right through his armor in what seemed like a fatal blow. He fell to the ground immediately. The four with him turned in surprise to the target, and began to raise their own weapons. However, a flurry of white darts cut them off, as their weapons were cut into pieces and darts shot through their bodies. Within a few moments, the whole unit was dead.

The soldiers immediately stopped their entrance into the facility. Instead, they quickly began to fall back and take a defensive position again. Those already inside rushed on with their chore. One of them managed to grab the body of the first soldier and drag him back with them. But once he had taken cover with the others, he looked down to see what had caused the damage. In a bewildered voice, he called out to the others.

"Paper?"

Moments later, the target risked a step away from the column. The soldiers looked up and soon saw who it was. It was not a he after all, but a she. What more, she looked rather young, scatterbrained, and innocent as well. She was dressed in a light suit with an overly heavy tan coat over her shoulders, and a huge pair of glasses barely hung onto her face while her black hair messily fanned out over her head. However, in one hand, she held a fan-shaped array of what seemed like ordinary paper. On seeing how many soldiers were out there, however, she gasped and only threw one recklessly before dodging back inside. The paper in question sailed through the air and right to one of the soldiers hiding behind an ornamental statue. He quickly ducked behind it, and moments later heard a large breaking sound. He held in puzzlement for a moment, but then leaned up and looked around. To his shock, the paper had embedded itself in the stone statue as if it was an iron pick and not just simple paper.

Immediately, the lieutenant called out. "Drop her!"

Moments later, the soldiers hefted their guns and began to spew out firepower. Bullets soon riddled the front of the library, and stone and debris flew everywhere. Screaming in panic, the girl ducked and desperately covered her head behind her flimsy shelter. The enemy didn't bother using their artillery, however. Doing so would risk destroying the entrance, and their men inside would be unable to move. Instead, while the firestorm went on, the lieutenant began to order more men to deploy on the sides, to move in and trap her.

Meanwhile, one of the laser-toting troopers didn't want to wait. Through the firefight, he quickly moved closer to the front lines. Once there, he dropped down and hefted his weapon. He pressed a button on his helmet, switching it to a heat-seeking mode. Moments later, the rest of the world became blue in his vision, save for the red streaks of light firing around the target, and the red outline of the target herself. He quickly aimed the target on her, and prepared to fire…

"Pardon me, but did you drop this?"

The soldier looked up at this and turned in surprise to the right at the sound of the female voice. Moments later, a massive piece of sidewalk was flung into his body, tearing him off his feet and carrying him across the ground for a good hundred yards. He bowled over any soldier that was in his way. A group of the soldiers turned in confusion at this. Soon, they saw a black-haired woman standing out just from the edge of the monstrous tank with a rather skimpy dress on. She had a gun out, and quickly began to fire on the enemy. Her first three shots bounced harmlessly off, but a fourth one actually hit one in a vulnerable spot, and he gave a yell as he fell to the ground. But that was all she could do before she had to duck for cover behind the tank, for soon part of the enemy turned on her and began to fire. Again, the enemy couldn't use their artillery for risk of damaging their own weapon.

Kei breathed hard from her temporary defense, and began to wonder what she was thinking by jumping in on this attack. Now, she was pinned behind the tank with armed units on either side of her, and she realized they were too well armored and trained to hope to get too many good shots on them. However, a new problem soon arose. She heard a rolling and clicking sound overhead as she stood there, and with a curious expression she looked up to see what had happened.

If she could have seen fully around the backside of the tank, she would have seen that some sort of racks had rolled out with three ship-shaped objects on them. The moment it had fully rolled out, it clicked and locked into place. Seconds later each of the man-sized ship objects sprung out a pair of bat wings and a tail made of ultralight metal. Hooks released, and one by one all three objects were dropped. It didn't seem to matter. Like swallows in flight, they free fell for a moment before righting themselves and shooting up into the air again. Soon, they were swooping around at incredible speeds, turning and circling in midair. The wings flapped just like a birds. Kei saw this…and she further saw that the ships were turning and focusing on her.

The spy didn't wait long, but soon raised her gun and emptied her shots at the craft. Normally, her puny gun couldn't have been expected to be that accurate at their range. But luckily, she had since learned to adjust the path of the bullets after she fired them using a little trick. Her last four shots all went straight to the lead craft. Unfortunately, the metal hull was too much for them, and they soon bounced harmlessly off. Swallowing, Kei quickly reached to her side to fumble for another clip…before she realized in fear that she had only had enough room on her outfit for one. Moments later, the lead ship opened gunfire, and to Kei's shock the bullets were remarkably accurate. In a flash, she waved her hand in front of herself and focused. Moments later, the bullets bounced off a translucent sphere that seemed to have formed right in front of the agent. However, the two wingmen soon fired as well, this time shooting miniature rockets at the woman. Having little choice, Kei panted and tore around the farther side of the tank. The missiles hit a moment later, and tore more of the pavement up, nearly enveloping her in the resulting explosion. The three bird ships swept down a moment later, but then readily swept back up as they reached the tank to come around for another pass.

As for Kei, she noticed that she was diving right in front of another squad of soldiers. With few options left, she waved her hand at them as she dove. The nearest four soldiers soon found themselves ripped off their feet by an invisible force and thrown violently to the ground. The force of the eruption itself forced Kei to fly to the ground as well. There, she lay for a moment, panting and sweating. A heavy headache was coming on, and she felt shaky from all of the power she had used. But she knew she had little time to waste. The other soldiers were a bit stunned on seeing her fall, but soon they'd realize she wasn't hurt and open fire again. Quickly, she turned to the other soldiers she had knocked over. They were already beginning to rise. She looked over their weapons for a moment, until her eyes rested on one in particular. He seemed to have a large cannon weapon…with a battery pack on the side.

_No way… It can't be… Oh well, I'm not complaining._

Immediately, Kei braced one of her arms and pointed it at the man. Moments later, the soldier was shocked as his weapon quivered, and then shot right out of his hands and straight for the fallen woman. It dragged the battery pack behind it, and soon the laser cannon was in Kei's arms. Despite being shaky and sore, Kei sprung to her feet and fired, not bothering to take aim. A red hot laser soon erupted from the machine, and she proceeded to sweep it at the enemy before her. Most of them had good reflexes, it seemed, and they dove to the ground quickly. But some were unfortunate enough to get in its way, and the beam cut through them like they were made of butter. Pieces of the soldiers soon fell to the ground.

Seeing this group incapacitated for the moment, Kei quickly turned and looked to the sky instead. The three ships were making for another pass. Huffing, she quickly brought the heavy laser cannon up and aimed it straight for the central one. The weapon had a scope on it, and soon she had the plane firmly in her sights. She immediately squeezed the trigger, expecting the plane to be easily shot down by the cannon. Much to her surprise, the plane slipped out of the way, and the shot missed it. Gritting her teeth, Kei held the trigger down and swept it up again, but once more the plane turned and avoided it. It began to open fire on Kei again, but luckily it wasn't so accurate this time. Nevertheless, Kei, angry at how long this was taking, swept the laser around a bit in the air. Finally, it was too much for the craft to handle…although the pilot looked like he could have kept avoiding it. The shot tore into the craft as the two wingmen parted. Moments later, one of the wings exploded in a ball of fire. The plane took a nosedive, and soon crashed into the street and erupted.

Kei panted again, but then turned and quickly dove back for the guarded side of the tank. She couldn't risk trying to run for it now. The artillery would pick her down in a second. Now, she was caught in a deadly game of survival…

* * *

The young woman behind the column wasn't doing much better. She seemed to be rather timid, and helpless in her pinned down location. Unfortunately, that gave ample opportunity for more enemy units to move in. While she cringed and cowered, her opponents had moved in on either side of the building, and were sneaking forward along the wall. She continued to clutch her head in terror a moment, before there was a lull in the gunfire. Quickly, the woman opened her eyes, and then gasped as she saw what was happening. She immediately shot to her feet and brandished her sheets of paper, but she quickly realized it was hopeless. They were closing in on both sides, and now that she noticed them they had their guns up. She couldn't fight both off at once…unless…

The woman swallowed, but then decided to risk it. She held a moment longer, but then dove for the ground. As she did, she flung the deck of paper in her hand at one of her enemies. They sailed out like deadly darts, cutting into the first two soldiers on one side and slicing right through them. The enemy on the other side immediately prepared to fire, but there was a split second delay. In that time, she managed to reach her remaining hand down into an open suitcase at her side…which appeared to be filled with nothing but reams and reams of office paper. In a flash, she pulled it back up, seeming to pull a continuous stream of paper held together into one massive sheet as she did so, and brought it over herself. The enemy opened fire anyway…and was soon shocked to realize that the paper acted as a bullet-proof shield, and guarded the woman from every shot.

Meanwhile, the survivors on the other side, stunned a bit but now recovered, opened fire as well. Yet the woman seemed ready. She reached down into her case and pulled out two more decks of paper cards and unfolded them into fans. She quickly spread them in front of her head, and moments later twenty bullets from the enemy were stopped cold as they fired at her. Her opponents were shocked, wondering how this was possible. But she didn't give them a moment. Once they were finished, she quickly lowered her arms and flung out her paper decks at the enemy one after another, cutting through the rest of the troops in a second. As this wing of the enemy was wiped out, the woman began to feel relieved. Perhaps she could win after all…

Those hopes were soon dashed. Abruptly, she heard a burning sound behind her, and felt heat on the back of her neck. Her face paled, and she immediately gulped. She turned weakly around, and soon found her paper barrier burning. Apparently, the enemy had flamethrowers in their weapons as well. Gasping in fear, the woman quickly rushed down and attempted to put out the flames. But unfortunately they spread quickly, and soon she only managed to burn herself as the flame spread to her. The young woman was forced to rise to her feet to avoid getting singed…but in her scatterbrainedness she had neglected to pick up so much as a scrap of paper…and had exposed herself perfectly to the enemy. She looked up at them, and soon saw several gun barrels aimed at her. The young woman began to sweat. Her eyeglasses began to slide down her nose. She held up her hands in a gesture of surrender…but the soldiers didn't react. They merely took aim for her head, ready to deal with the nuisance once and for all.

Again, however, they were stopped as a rather long sword blade suddenly ripped itself through the back one's chest. He gave out a death gurgle loud enough for all to hear, and they all turned in surprise, temporarily forgetting about the young woman. Rather than use the moment to attack, the young woman herself looked in puzzlement, and even shock, at what had happened. Moments later, however, the soldier fell…revealing a tall, dark man with a wide-brimmed hat, a black trench coat, and a long silver nodachi. He wasted little time, but cut through two more at once, and then, before they could even raise their guns to fight back, impaled the last two on his sword.

The young woman blinked in shock. However, D didn't want to waste any time waiting for her to snap out of it. Immediately, he dashed forward and seized the woman roughly, then with one yank snapped her around so that she twirled against his body. After that, he held her tight against himself.

"Hey!" The young woman protested. "What are you-"

"If you want to live, be quiet and hang on." D simply responded. He turned back around, and sure enough saw more soldiers running in. Brandishing his sword in one hand and holding the young woman tightly to himself in the other, he soon took off and dashed right at them. They leveled their guns and opened fire, but in a flash D crouched and leapt into the air, sailing high above their intended targets. They seemed to be above average gunmen, for they were not shocked by D's move, and they quickly cut off their first chain of fire and looked into the sky instead, not seeming to care that D had leapt fifty feet into the air. As the young woman screamed in panic, D turned himself down and made his body dive faster to the ground. Still, the enemy fired back so quickly that he had to use two of his sword hand fingers to quickly pull out a pair of wooden needles and fling them down. Moments later, the projectiles ripped through the two nearest one's heads, and D landed in their midst.

They began to fire, but D was too fast. Quickly, he swiped out his blade twice and cut through four of them, two on either side. That left two more at the extremities and out of his immediate range. Yet as he did so, he suddenly felt a hot pain rip through his arm. He didn't have to look to see the cause. He knew that one of the bullets still managed to hit him. In all honesty, he was surprised. One of the remaining gunmen had to have shot him. But for them to have adjusted and opened fire so quickly after their four accomplices had been put down…it was superhuman.

D didn't bother debating it. Instead, he quickly reached down one of the arms holding the young lady and turned on a switch on his belt. A piercing UV light soon went out, and he turned and aimed it straight in the eyes of one of the soldiers. In the meantime, he swept his arm around and flung his nodachi at the other one like a huge dart. That soldier could only gape a moment before the blade connected. As for the other, he gave out a cry of agony and shot back, raising his hands to his helmeted eyes. D used this diversion to quickly close the distance between himself and the soldier, and soon he was on him and driving his fist forward with killing force. With one smash, he pounded his hand into the man's skull, and the power killed him immediately. Not wasting anymore time, D turned on a dime and shot back to the other fallen soldier. He reached down just long enough to tear his nodachi out of the other, and then dashed for the side of the library. Moments later, he quickly plunged behind the edge of a small enclave and took cover.

Only then was the young woman released. Now quite frazzled and stunned, she nearly collapsed the moment she was dropped to the ground. Bullets tore apart the edge of the building where D hid, but he merely leaned up against the back and planned his next move. The woman sighed loudly and rubbed her sweaty brow, for despite all that had happened she was alive and out of a deathtrap. But then, she turned around, and immediately turned a shade white. The scariest looking man ever was gazing down on her underneath a blood-red hat through yellow lenses. He grinned…and revealed a monstrous set of vampiric teeth.

The woman swallowed. Without turning away from him, she reached her arm behind herself and tugged on D's coat. "Uh…I think you missed one!" She yelped in fear.

D, in response, calmly turned an eye behind himself. He took one look at Alucard, but stayed perfectly controlled and calm. "…Are you going to help?"

Alucard merely shrugged. "Why?"

* * *

"What annoying creatures…"

The commander of this particular division of the LDV Army remarked this aloud as he gazed down on the battle below. This was supposed to be a simple operation, from what his master had told him. Simply pilot their tank down the streets of Tokyo to the Metropolitan Library, and recover the book. Other than that, the only purpose was to show the world what the forces of the LDV Army could do. Now, it appeared, they had run into some meddling difficulties. Three…no, two groups now, were causing them trouble. One was hiding under his very tank, unable to be shot at. She should have been dealt with a while ago. But somehow…and the commander had noticed this through what appeared to be special powers on her part…she was staying alive and had actually shot down one of their planes. As for the others, that damned Special Ops agent seemed to have found other superhuman friends as well. And now, they were held out against the side of the very library he had to make sure not to turn to rubble. Yes…this was an annoying day indeed.

The commander was far different from the rest of the soldiers. He was covered in a single piece long black cape, covering his entire body including the back of his head. However, given the dark manner of the man and his cold demeanor…it looked as if he was a piece of living shadow. He betrayed no form or detail about him until one looked to his head. There, as a headdress, he wore a bizarre assortment of what had to be dark bird feathers, giving him an unusual, almost native…or witch doctor…appearance. As for his face, it showed nothing either. A stoic white mask covered it, shaped into the old Kabuki style with only a slight grin where the mouth should be. But it was black underneath, showing no mouth. The only thing it did show of the man was in its eye opening. On one side of the head, a normal human eye shone out. But on the other…there was only blackness.

He calmly stood on the platform overhead, unmoving as the rest of the soldiers surveyed the area around him. Three lesser commanders were up on his upper platform, each one specially colored compared to the other silver soldiers. But they all obeyed him. He was unmiffed by any of the attacks or movement. He stayed calm and cold. In fact…one felt a bit icy just staring at him. One could almost feel the passion and darkness dripping off from him, as if he wasn't wearing a cloak of fabric but one of blackness. One mere look from him was enough to strike fear into the hearts of most mortal men. And he showed nothing as he looked over the field.

At last, one of the lieutenants, wielding a pair of binoculars, looked over far below to the bottom of the tank. He was focused on the front of the library. Suddenly, a troop of soldiers emerged from within, rushing out to the tank. As they did, one held up a small light and flashed it, sending a signal to the soldier on top. He turned to the black-cloaked individual immediately.

"My lord, we have it. They're bringing it aboard right now."

"Good." The man flatly said…his voice as cold and hard as a gravestone. "Kill the intruders."

* * *

The soldiers, who had been furiously firing until now, suddenly ceased. Abruptly they fell back, covering a new group of soldiers that had just run from the inside of the library. These ones quickly fell back together into the open tank. However, as D looked around the corner, he saw that the enemy wasn't leaving them alone just yet. The artillery that they had spent so much time getting out was now being trained on them. D realized that if they had what they came for, then there was nothing left to stop them from blasting through the library to get to them. Their shelter wouldn't last long.

The young woman peeked her head out over the side, staying behind D as she did. On doing so, she swallowed immediately. "We're in trouble…"

D had to admit that she was right. Somehow, one of those gunners had managed to put another bullet in his leg when he took shelter. That meant he wasn't going to be going anywhere fast anytime soon. He couldn't run back out fast enough to clear the enemy units before they fired. No doubt, they were holding for the moment so that they could get enough armaments to tear apart the barrier that shielded them. As for Alucard, who was calmly standing behind him with his arms crossed, even if for some reason he could get him to help, in daylight he couldn't transform or teleport. They were indeed in trouble. Finally, D realized there was only one thing he could do.

The dhampire immediately turned down to the young woman. "Can you make a shield strong enough to stop that cannon fire?"

The young woman turned back and paused a moment. She seemed a bit shocked and confused at all this. But then, she snapped out of it and spoke. "I…I need paper."

A moment later, the young woman yelped in terror as what sounded like cannon fire erupted. She nearly leapt into D's arms as she heard the massive, ear-splitting eruptions behind her. However, the enemy hadn't fired yet. Instead, as she turned around, shaking with nervousness, she saw that Alucard had pulled out two rather large handguns, taken aim at the wall of the enclave they were in, and had opened fire. His fat bullets tore through the concrete wall as if they were rice paper, acting like small cannons in and of themselves as they ripped it down. After he had blasted a man-sized hole in the building, he quickly replaced the guns and stepped inside calmly.

The young woman continued to hold against D and blinked in astonishment. The dhampire himself remained perfectly calm. Moments later, however, Alucard emerged. In one hand, he easily hefted an entire encyclopedia set in one stack. He dropped the books to the ground right in front of the young woman, not caring that they were heavy and that he dropped one right on her foot, making her recoil and yelp a bit more in pain.

"Will this do?" He calmly asked.

* * *

Kei took careful aim again and fired. It was still hard as ever to shoot down a plane. All three pilots seemed to be incredibly skilled. It was only with great difficulty that she was shooting this other one down. However, the laser once again moved through it, and the bird-like ship erupted into a fireball soon after. It was sent crashing to the ground like its predecessor. After this, the other plane seemed to realize it was at a disadvantage. It made a sharp turn to one side, and made back for where it was.

However, Kei realized she was still in deep trouble. She was stuck against this tank, and she could be overwhelmed at any time. The laser cannon was running out of power quickly. If that wasn't enough, she heard the enemy units loading up. Soon, the huge tank would be in motion again, and if she was still where she was she'd probably be crushed. But she couldn't risk running for it. If she did, she could be pegged down by cannon fire. She began to sweat. What was she going to do?

"Kei? Kei!"

The spy suddenly perked up her head at this. A familiar voice had called out to her. Immediately, she turned and looked to the source, and found that it was on the side of the tank facing away from the library. She couldn't see who, though. She swallowed a moment, trying to make a decision. At last, she decided that enough of the enemy had reentered the tank at this point, and she began to dash around the edge of the tank and make for the opposite side.

However, no sooner had she run to the other side then her face went white. Lupin had recovered, and now the fool was out again. He was still hiding over at the now-abandoned restaurant, but he was looking up and actively searching for the spy. He was calling out to her as well. Kei slipped up and didn't even check for extra guards in the area. Instead, she merely looked up and looked to him. Her own face went into a panic, and her heart began to race.

_No, you idiot… Keep quiet!_

But it was already too late. Kei heard a great whirring above her. She looked up, and was able to see only a little over the hanging rim of the tank. But what she did see was her worst fear. The enemy was turning every gun it had on this side to Lupin. Soon, they'd open fire on him and turn him and the restaurant into a blackened crater. The rogue only seemed to realize this too late. In the middle of calling out for Kei, his eyes suddenly caught the side of the tank. Immediately he went white as a sheet himself and swallowed nervously. He ducked back down behind the railing of the exterior restaurant, but Kei already knew that wouldn't save him.

The spy grit her teeth in frustration. Lewd and childish as he was, Lupin was a good man deep down inside. He had come through for her before, although it might have taken a while. She couldn't just let him die. But she couldn't call out to him. If she did, it wouldn't have mattered. And she couldn't run out and drag him to safety. She'd never make it. And so, she realized there was only one alternative left. It already hurt so much…but she had to do it. She hadn't tried something like this before, but there was a first time for everything she guessed…

Moments later, the cannons opened fire. At the same time, Kei extended her hand out to Lupin and focused as hard as she could. She bit down and glared forward, not letting up for a moment. The cannons soon hit and erupted. But instead of tearing Lupin to pieces, they blew up each and every bit of area around him. But as for himself, he was guarded under a translucent sphere that Kei projected on him. Immediately, the strain became great. And every cannon shot that landed felt like a stab in the brain. If that wasn't enough, the enemy had some sort of rapid fire cannon that could shoot almost continuously. And they were using them en masse. Grunting, straining, and barely able to hold on, Kei continued to generate the shield. But the force became stronger and stronger. Her headache grew worse and worse. Her fingers trembled. Her nerves began to burn. Still the cannon fire continued, only getting stronger. Soon…her shield began to wave and buckle.

Biting down again, Kei braced her arm and kept focusing. Her eyes began to glaze over. Her vision blackened. Her head felt like fire, and blood began to ooze from her nose. She felt dizzy and sick. She wanted to roll over and throw up. But still she kept focusing. And still, the cannon fire kept coming.

Somehow, despite all the pain and agony that it took to control this, despite the fact that she was breaking, Kei saw something in the corner of her eye. She turned her peripheral vision slightly to the right…and cursed herself. One of the enemy soldiers was still out. And on seeing her, he had pulled out a grenade and thrown it at her. Kei was torn. The tremendous amount of focus on Lupin was tearing her mind apart. But now, she had another target. Finally, she managed to remove one arm that was bracing her focusing arm, and turned it to the grenade. Struggling with all her might to do two things at once, she focused her power on the incoming grenade.

Unfortunately, she didn't realize that it was a proximity grenade. The moment her force touched it, the explosive erupted. It wasn't that far from Kei at that point, and the violent force of the explosion ripped into her and rattled her brain. Unable to deal with this new force as well as her other pain, Kei could no longer take it. Her mind was torn too much. Abruptly, it shut down, and the woman passed out. Moments later, her body was flung violently backward through the air from the force of the eruption, and was forced out into the middle of the street. As she did, the cannons, now free, proceeded to tear apart the restaurant at long last. But as Kei's consciousness and power faded, she merely fell to the ground in a heap, now bruised and a bit burnt, and began to ooze blood from her nose.

The previous retreat was cancelled. Now, the grenade thrower began to run forward along with a group of other soldiers running out from the opening on this side of the tank. They rushed straight over to the fallen Kei with guns out and wary looks, expecting her to fight back or spring to life. But nothing happened. Kei was out for the count. And soon, the group had reached her motionless body.

Overhead, more soldiers flooded the platform. Many of them were minor troops, and they aimed their guns down on Kei's fallen body. Two of them had lasers and aimed for her head. Two commanders came out as well. Then, at long last, calmly strolling along, was the man in black. He too came out and stopped on the edge of the tank. There, he looked down and gazed at the fallen girl far below. He did not move, but halted for a few brief moments. The other soldiers paused and did nothing, ready to end her life, but none of them making a move without their commander approving. The man in black stared long and hard at the fallen body. He seemed to be making some sort of internal decision. However, at long last, he issued his verdict.

"…Take her."

* * *

At the same time, the guns opened fire. At once, another chain of cannon blasts shot out and proceeded to decimate the entire side of the building. Huge eruptions blasted pieces of cement and ground into ashes. As on the other side, the cannons barely paused in between. They seemed to be able to fire continuously without stop, not halting for more than a second as they fired again and again on the area below. The entire shelter was obliterated. A huge crater was blasted into the ground. Everything in the zone vanished into an eruption of fire and ashes as the cannon continued to go off.

Finally, the shots ceased. By now, the last of the troops had exhausted their ground ammo supplies, and began to pull them back. As they did, the guns on the main tank prepared to fire again, but paused long enough to let the smoke clear and see what had happened. A few soldiers and officers remained on the platform far above, looking down to see what happened.

They were soon in for a surprise. As they watched the smoke clear, one thing was left intact on the field where everything else was ash…a giant paper sphere. It alone stood in the midst of a scorched crater. It was a little scored and smoldering, but other than that still stood. The cannon crews were overwhelmed. They couldn't believe it.

They were soon in for another surprise, however. A small hole was suddenly ripped into the side of the sphere. Moments later, a large gun barrel pointed out and fired a shot. A massive streak tore through the air before it hit the main cannon, which immediately exploded into a ball of fire. Two more shots rang out, obliterating two more cannons with each eruption. Another shot went off after that, blowing away a large section of the platform on the tank. Soldiers went flying everywhere before falling off the edge to their deaths.

But that was all that got off. The panels soon slid into place after that. The platforms sank back into the main craft, and metal plating covered them as well. Soon, the entire tank was a giant cone once more. Then, with a hiss of steam and power, the treads on the tank went in reverse, and it began to roll back the way it came, back down the street and away from the library, leaving only destruction and carnage in its wake.

As it pulled away, a small hand suddenly reached out of the hole and grabbed a piece of the paper, giving it a simple tug. As if it had barely been holding itself together, the entire paper dome collapsed immediately. It revealed the three people that were hiding within it…D, Alucard, and the young woman, still astonished at all that had happened.

While D coldly stared at the tank and the young woman gaped at it, Alucard calmly popped open his gun and began to reach for spare bullets.

"Waste of expensive ammunition…" He murmured, but nothing else.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	3. Coalition

Chapter Three

* * *

Lupin had been in yet another close one.

He thought that to himself as he pushed the manhole cover over his head off, and began to emerge from the foul sewer back into the light of day. He reasoned he had moved a bit further, into the main street. That was soon confirmed, as he saw huge ruts from the treads of the massive tank, and smelled burning and twisted metal all around him. He had thought he was a dead man when the cannons started to fire. But good ol' Keity-Pie had managed to use her nifty powers to throw up a shield around him. However, he knew enough from experience that Kei couldn't hold them off long. Luckily, within the sphere, there had been a grating leading into the sewer. He quickly went down it, and got out of the way just as Kei's barrier broke down and the outdoor pavilion was turned into a sinkhole. Now, after hanging down long enough to hear that prototype for the Death Star roll away, he had climbed up to survey what had happened…and see if Kei had managed to take care of herself.

As Lupin stepped out of the sewer, he got his first good look at the destruction caused by the tank. Apparently, there had been quite a battle. Flaming wreckage was everywhere. Bits of metal and ruined machines from both the motorcade and the tank itself peppered the ground. Much of it was still burning. The library looked like what was left of the Pentagon back in 2001, only instead of a small area an entire side of it had been turned to rubble. Whoever those guys were, they sure didn't fool around. Lupin was still thinking this as he turned around and surveyed the area…

…Until his vision suddenly spotted a black trench coat directly in front of him. He froze immediately, and looked a bit higher. As he did, he noticed the dark face of a certain vampire hunter from his past glaring down on him with his cold stare.

Lupin yelped and nearly leapt back into the open manhole. But then, he caught himself and grit his teeth in frustration. "Don't do that!" He yelled at the stoic man in front of him. After that, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Aw great, I should have known! I couldn't expect to see Kei running around without you, her knight in oily black armor, following as well! I should have known that Kei alone couldn't have done this much damage!"

D didn't even give the rogue so much as a snort. He merely turned away and walked to the side, continuing to survey the area himself. He walked over to one of the fallen soldiers, and soon reached over and began to undo the mask. As he did, he exposed two more people behind him. One, Lupin realized with a grimace, was even darker and meaner looking than _him_. Luckily he wasn't doing much except keeping his arms crossed and standing around. However, Lupin did soon spot someone else, a rather bewildered looking young woman in glasses who was staring about the area in confusion. Lupin immediately grinned and tightened his tie. _Sure…I'm in to bookworms…_

In a flash, the thief had put himself up against her side. The woman snapped around to him and was a bit shocked to see him, but when she saw him grinning largely she figured that he was a friend. And so, she smiled somewhat herself and raised a hand in a waving gesture. "Oh…hi there."

"Why hello!" Lupin cheerily responded. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arsene Lupin the Third. And who might you be, young lady?"

"Oh, my code name is the Paper." The girl brightly responded. "But my real name is Yomiko Readman." She paused for a moment at that, and then suddenly changed, as if she had remembered something important. Immediately, she winced and smacked herself in the head. "Oh darn! I forgot we weren't supposed to give out our real names again!" She immediately turned away and began to whine to herself.

"Aw, don't sweat it, Yomi-kun." Lupin immediately soothed, approaching her even as she turned away. "You can trust ol' Lupin to keep a secret. Say, are you hurt? I'll be glad to give you a once over…"

* * *

D ignored this and his new acquaintance. He merely looked hard at the exposed face of the soldier. There was nothing remarkable about him. But nevertheless…D could sense something strange here. Something strange about all of this. Although these kind of machines had to be new and first of their line…he had a feeling he had seen them before. He turned and looked to another dead soldier after that, and soon ran over to this one next. As he did, Alucard kept his arms crossed and watched D go to work.

"Now why did I know you were going to save that girl?" He calmly asked him. "You never could resist being heroic or chivalrous, especially not for one of them."

D didn't answer. He merely crouched next to this soldier. Promptly, he reached down and began to pull off his helmet as well.

"If you're suspecting what I'm suspecting, you're right." Alucard went on. "I can smell them from here. There are a few differences among them…but I can smell that many of them share the same blood."

Again, D didn't answer. But Alucard's suspicions soon seemed to be confirmed. As he pulled off the helmet of this soldier, he saw a strange sight.

The face was identical to that of the other.

"Whoa D…what does this mean?" His left hand croaked.

If D would have answered, he never got the chance. For at that moment, a great wind began to be whipped around him. The sound of engines humming soon went off as well, and they were rapidly coming closer. It seemed almost like the sound of a jet. As debris began to be blown around, the dhampire rose and turned to the sight. He soon saw that the others were as well, and they were just in time to see the latest arrival.

As the group looked up, they noticed that the sky seemed distorted. It was as if reality was bending in several places over them, and that the distortion was getting lower. But that didn't last long. Abruptly, the distortion vanished, and as it did it revealed something else underneath. A massive, black, strangely shaped ship was hovering in midair. It looked like a futuristic starship. Only now, it was hovering over the ground, and it slowly lowered itself until it came to a rest against it. Once there, the engines cut off, and the entire ship became still.

Yomiko was stunned at the sudden arrival. But D and Alucard regarded the ship calmly and without change. As for Lupin, he rolled his eyes and groaned at it. "Great…seems as if another alumni came to the reunion…"

The ship stood there a moment, before a small platform underneath it broke down and slid out, forming a ramp. As it did so, it revealed its two passengers at the top of the opening. One was the familiar girlish appearance of the genius Chibi Washu. However, a bit more unexpected, and standing with arms crossed right next to her, was the constantly-irritable, savage warrior Inuyasha. Lupin blinked a bit in astonishment at him, while D, though he showed nothing, was also considerably surprised.

Inuyasha grit his teeth and glared around. "Why did we stop here? I thought you were supposed to be getting me out of this time period."

"Oh, sit already."

Washu's voice abruptly changed tone to become that of a much younger girl, and Inuyasha's eyes abruptly expanded as his body was violently thrown to the ground. Apparently, Washu had never thrown out the voice changer that gave her mastery over the necklace he wore. Now, she was freely using it. However, she descended a bit from her platform and began to survey the area. She soon saw the massive chaos and destruction that had unfolded. For now, no cops were coming. They were too busy trying to stop the massive tank, which was now miles away and headed right for the ocean.

"So D, up to your old tricks again I see." Washu commented. She then looked and eyed Yomiko and Alucard. "And you have a couple of new friends too…"

Yomiko swallowed a bit at this new arrival, and eyed her with confusion. "Um…who are you?"

Grinning in response, Washu swept herself up and held a finger in the air. "I am the magnificent Chibi Washu, the universe's most renown super genius!"

Alucard, on his part, eyed her carefully. It seemed as if he noticed something about the small scientist, and was studying her. In reality, he was noticing that her blood seemed to smell of a different quality than human, and that her manners were altered as well. He could look into her eyes, and he noticed that she had far more knowledge and wisdom than any of the lower beings he was dealing with. "Well, well…" He stated after a moment. "You seem to be an interesting creature…"

Washu turned to him and grinned. For the first time Alucard could remember, a person was totally unaffected by his dark aura and appearance. "You ain't seen nothing yet, big guy."

Lupin rose back up and looked over to Washu and Inuyasha, the latter of the two still peeling himself off the ground. "Man, looks like it's an irregular reunion out here. Figures it would happen when a tank the size of a ball park would come into town…" However, at that, he suddenly seemed to realize something. He turned his head around wildly for a moment, and then turned back to the others. "Oh man…that reminds me! Has anyone seen Kei around here?"

All of the others, save for Alucard, turned and looked to him at that. Washu, Inuyasha, and Yomiko all looked puzzled or concerned, but D showed nothing. As for Inuyasha, as he pulled himself up, he growled under his breath. "Great…that witch is here too?"

"I thought I sensed something familiar…" D remarked aloud. "And something had to have shot down those fighters…"

"Well, where is she now?" Lupin immediately retorted, looking around in growing anxiety. He seemed to be genuinely worried about her. "We've got to find her!"

"Don't waste your effort." Alucard darkly announced. "I can sense all life within a half mile radius. The only thing I can feel other than ourselves are masses of trembling humans fleeing farther and farther away. Your friend is most likely dead."

Lupin's face immediately became stretched with fear at that. "Oh no…"

Inuyasha, on his part, got to his feet and crossed his arms. "Don't everyone start crying." He flatly stated. "Tall, dark, and ugly over there may sense life or something, but I can smell a dead body easily enough. I can't smell Kei's scent, live or dead, anywhere around here. All I can smell are all these dead guys in armor…"

The others turned and looked back to Inuyasha at that. "You sure?" Lupin asked.

Inuyasha frowned in reply. "I think that Kagome's been captured enough times for me to hone this sense. And that's my guess. I'd say she was captured by whatever that 'tank' thing is that you all keep talking about."

There was a pause from the others for a moment. As they did, Washu seemed to ignore this, and came out to start looking around the area. As she did, she snapped her fingers, and abruptly a trench coat and suit appeared on her body, making her look like some sort of investigator. That wasn't all. A hole in reality seemed to appear over her head, and a rather large camera from what appeared to be the 50's dropped down and landed in her hands. She immediately began to take pictures of the fallen soldiers and the wreckage that was lying around. As she did, D looked back to Inuyasha.

"…Have you noticed anything about these bodies?"

Inuyasha turned to him, and immediately formed a puzzled look. "That's the weird thing." He responded. "They smell like humans…but they all smell the same. It's like I'm smelling pieces of the same body thrown around…or even the same body itself."

D was silent at that. So it wasn't just his eyes playing tricks on him. The soldiers did both look and smell the same. This was interesting. A troop of soldiers appears out of nowhere that are all alike in appearance, piloting machines that D knew he had seen ages ago, and they cause widespread chaos for the sake of stealing what appeared to be a few old books. D wasn't a fool. He hadn't been around for hundreds of years to not be on the lookout for strange idiosyncracies such as this. This was something most intriguing indeed…and very puzzling. Perhaps it was good that he had run into Washu at this point. The small humanoid was quite intelligent, and she had a knack for picking up on things…

"I think this may be weirder than you all think…" Washu soon announced. For once, her cheery tone was laced with apprehension and unease. As she continued to take pictures, she remarked to the others behind her. "Hey, D, Scout…be a dear and lift some of those bodies into the Ryo-Ohki. And make sure to get at least one of those decorated bodies and one of the pilots."

Inuyasha balled his hands into fists and angrily turned to her. "Since when am I your garbage boy?"

However, D did not complain. On the contrary, he immediately did as Washu had said. He bent down and picked up one of the dead soldiers easily in one hand, and began to lift it up off the ground. Inuyasha turned and saw him doing this. At that, he frowned. He knew that the dhampire wouldn't be doing this unless he had a very good reason. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Inuyasha seethed a moment, but then hopped off the platform in one bound and ran out to get one of the others bodies. Lupin, meanwhile, turned and looked to Washu in confusion.

"So…we're going with you?"

"That's what I assumed." Washu answered with a simple shrug. "I thought you'd be interested in finding Kei. And if you'd like to know more about that weapon that attacked, you better come along with me. Do you have anything better to do?"

Lupin groaned and moped. He wasn't in the mood for hanging around with this bunch again. They could be downright freaky. But finally, he caved in, and began to walk toward the Ryo-Ohki. He did want to get Kei back if nothing else. And he was a bit puzzled as to why all of this had taken place. If one answer would lead to the other, then he supposed he better tag along. Besides…Washu might be able to help him out with his other concerns of finding a way of rejuvenating his companions. And so he grudgingly boarded the ship.

As D took up another body, he turned and he looked to Alucard. The vampire darkly stared back at him, not moving at all. They both glared at each other a moment, before Alucard finally spoke.

"Still being chivalrous, I see." He told him. "I take it you're going to go and try and help the girl."

D stared back coldly in response. "…With Hellsing in the country, I need to get out anyway. As long as they're here, my services won't be needed. I guess we're going to have to part ways again."

Alucard merely cracked a toothy grin. "Now who ever said anything about that? You forget, I was ordered to bring you in dead or alive. I'm not letting you escape. If you want to go somewhere else, you'll have to do it with me following you."

D and Alucard stared at each other after that. D was still cold as ice, while Alucard's yellow eyes flashed dangerously back. Neither of them said anything for a moment as they stared. In the end, however, D was the one who backed down. He turned for the platform of the ship, and stopped just long enough to say something else.

"…If you don't plan on helping move bodies, get into the ship."

With that, he began to walk away. Alucard merely snorted a chuckle. He seemed to enjoy D's attitude. He seemed to like being around so many who didn't simply cower in fear before him as he approached them. After a pause, he began to calmly walk to the ship himself.

As for Washu, she seemed to stop taking pictures, and she turned and looked up to the remaining young woman. Yomiko was still staring around in confusion at all that was happening. She didn't understand any of it. Finally, Washu spoke up to her. "So what about you?"

Yomiko blinked and seemed to be snapped out of it. Then, she turned and looked over to Washu. "Uh…me?"

"Yeah. What are you going to do?"

The young woman paused after that for a moment. She turned and looked back to the smoldering remains of the motorcade, and swallowed a bit. "Well…um…I really don't know, actually. You see all of the agents were over there…and now I'm kind of the only one left. I don't even know where to call back home."

Washu hesitated a moment, but then shrugged. "Want to come with us?"

Yomiko wheeled around to her in puzzlement. "Me?"

"Sure. We'll probably end up going after that tank anyway, if that's your mission. And the more the merrier, I always say."

Yomiko paused a moment, considering her options. In truth, these people kind of made her uneasy. But she had run into her share of unusual characters, and she was far too scatterbrained to focus on any of their differences for very long. After all, she too had an unusual power. She turned and looked back over to the wreckage of the motorcade, and she winced a bit as she stared at it. But then, she looked up to the wreckage of the library. At that, a change went over her. Her face twisted into a mixture of horror and anger. It was as if she had just witnessed a tragic crime against humanity, and it was inciting her to violence. She even balled her hands into fists and shook a little. Finally, she turned back to Washu.

"Is there any chance we'll get that book back that they stole?"

Washu, for all her intelligence, seemed puzzled at this reply. "Um…probably."

"Can I have it if we do?"

Washu was even more perplexed. "Er…sure."

Yomiko hesitated a moment longer, but then smiled wide and became friendly. "Ok! But I'm going to need to get some more paper. I'm out…" With that, she ran up after the rest of the motley crew into the platform of the ship. Soon, she vanished inside with the rest.

The young scientist looked up and over to her. She shook her head as she did. "Man…just when you think this species can't get any weirder…"

* * *

"…And that's when we broke up."

Yomiko was standing in stunned silence on the deck of the Ryo-Ohki. Her hands were folded in front of her and she leaned over in amazement. She didn't even bother to push her glasses up again, though they had fallen down once more. Over the course of the past four hours, while Washu had run off to examine her latest data, the remaining group members had proceeded to relate the entire tale of what had happened two years ago. Seven of them had been summoned together by a secret organization: Inuyasha, the bestial warrior, Washu, the brilliant alien scientist, Kei, the telepathic spy, Lupin, the infamous rogue, Genma, the sadistic ninja immortal, Miyu, the vampire princess, and D, the vampire hunter. Together, their mission was to recover some samples for a powerful psychic named Akira from a military rogue organization. Along the way, they encountered a powerful spirit creature named Kohaku and Genma had betrayed them. Kohaku had eventually joined the group, and Miyu killed the traitorous Genma. Meanwhile, D and Kei had finished off the leader of the organization, another powerful telepath named simply the Colonel. In the end, however, they were betrayed by the very organization that recruited them, and they were forced to go their separate ways.

Yomiko blinked a bit longer, and looked around a bit at them all. Finally, she spoke up. "And…you think that this Gendo person was trying to make another group?"

"That's where you come in." Lupin responded, getting a bit critical and wary of their new arrival. "You see, Kei thought the reason that these secret British organizations were in town was because Gendo was looking for a few good men, or women, to make another group. And so far, you look like you're prime candidate material."

However, before Yomiko had to defend herself, a cold laugh came from behind the group. They turned and looked to the monstrous Alucard, standing with arms crossed and glasses off. He was even more ferocious looking now with his yellow eyes exposed. In the darkness of the Ryo-Ohki, he easily was able to weather the light. "Your human friend thought wrong." He simply stated. "Hellsing is interested in vampires and their undead legions, nothing more. And Sir Hellsing would never submit to any other authority that she didn't need to. For that matter, neither would I. And I assure you that we didn't encounter any message or contact with any Gendo."

"As for me," Yomiko added. "We were only in town to defend the books. We had a tip that suggested that the library was going to be attacked, so we got dispatched to Britain to look after them."

Lupin was overwhelmed. "You're kidding. There really is a Library Special Ops force in Great Britain?"

Yomiko nodded earnestly in reply.

Inuyasha, in response to this, rolled his eyes. "What a waste of energy… Who even bothers reading in the 21st Century?"

"Man, Europeans really _don't_ have anything better to do…" Lupin muttered.

Yomiko looked particularly enraged at Inuyasha at that. "What do you mean, 'who bothers reading'? I read at least 35 books a day! And I'll have you know that if it wasn't for the Royal British Library's Division of Special Operations and its incredible agents, last year this planet would have-"

"I'm ready!"

Yomiko was cut off, and soon she and the others turned around and looked to the newest arrival. Coming up the hallway with a skip in her step was Washu. She seemed rather pleased with herself, and quickly arrived up front along with the others in the small space where they were gathered. She soon commanded the attention of the entire room.

"What did you find?" D asked.

"Something very interesting." Washu cheerily responded. "But in order to correctly present my findings, we're going to need some…visual aides."

As if in response, another hole in reality suddenly appeared right over the middle of the room. Moments later, what appeared like an old slide projector plopped out and landed right on the floor. Not only that, but chairs appeared to materialize from the blackness behind the group, and shot straight forward behind each of the members. Lupin, Inuyasha, and Yomiko all gave out a mild cry as a chair smacked itself behind their knees, forcing them to sit down. D, on his part, calmly sat in his own chair as he sensed it approaching. As for Alucard…he stood perfectly still as a stone, and as the chair approached him…it suddenly flew apart into two pieces as if an invisible force broke it in half. Yomiko looked around in confusion at what had happened, and noticed that they all seemed to be seated in high school model chairs.

As for Washu, she cheerily stepped to the front of the room. She raised her hand up, and seemed to dip it into another pocket of reality. When she pulled it out, she was holding a large rod, and as she pulled it down what appeared to be a screen for projections was pulled out and displayed in midair. That done, Washu reached into her pocket, and this time pulled out a small remote. She aimed it at the air and pressed it, and moments later what appeared to be a floating light switch materialized. She reached out and prepared to flick it. "Now remember, no idle talking, chewing gum, or falling asleep during the presentation." With that, she turned it off, and the room immediately became darker.

A second later, the projector came on, and proceeded to show its first image. It appeared to be one of the multiple barreled cannons from earlier. It was wrecked now, but it was there. Washu soon began to provide the sound for her presentation. "Here we have one of the ruined artillery units from the forces that attacked."

Washu pressed the button on the remote, and the slide projector clicked. A new image showed up, this one of one of the wrecked planes. It was pretty well burnt and smashed, but one could still get the general idea of what it looked like intact. "Here we have one of the flying machines, sans pilot."

Another click, and this time a rough sketch appeared. But it was unmistakable for what it was. It was the giant tank from earlier. "And here is the tank that became the world's largest road hog and accumulated some 300 traffic violation tickets within the span of fifteen minutes." With that, she turned out to the crowd. "Does anyone know what these all have in common?"

The group was silent for a moment. D himself recognized these things, but he couldn't place them. He was sure he had seen them once long ago, but he didn't remember where they had come from. However, it was Yomiko who raised her hand, just like she was in class.

Washu smiled and pointed to her. "Yes, Ms. Readman?"

"I've seen them all in one of my latest books." Yomiko responded matter-of-factly. "It was 'Blueprints of the Renaissance Man: the Inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci".

Immediately, it hit D. His memory registered at once. He nearly cursed himself for not thinking of it sooner. However, Washu smiled and pointed at her. "That's exactly right, Ms. Readman! You get a gold star for today! Each one of these designs was planned over five hundred years ago."

To accent this, she clicked on the slides again. It soon showed an ancient, brittle schematic, yellow with age and withered. But it unmistakably showed the design for the multiple cannon.

"This is Da Vinci's blueprints for the 33-Barrel Organ. It was designed to be a rapid fire cannon. Eleven of the barrels could fire one after another, while another row loaded, and another row cooled. The design that was on the field today was modified to have more mechanics rather than manual power working it, and the ammunition and specifics were modernized, but the same design held true."

Another slide clicked into place. It was another withered blueprint, but this time it was that of the glider.

"This is Da Vinci's plans for a basic flying machine. The design that you encountered was far more advanced, with much more bird flight mechanics in place. But even those were reproduced from individual blueprints and designs that got into the intricacies of Da Vinci's work. It also had more modern propulsion systems, but as you can see the result mimicked that of an actual bird, and used lightweight metal instead of wood."

The last slide was clicked on. And as expected it was another design, but this one was unmistakably the tank. The usual cone shape and the treads matched it exactly.

"Last but not least, Da Vinci's concept for this world's first armored car, or as it later came to be known as: a tank. This blueprint was for a much smaller, manual powered version. But the basic shape is the same. This new version was, of course, much larger, and had ample room for many troops and for artillery."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and snorted. "So what? This guy have Dahvinsee on the brain or something?"

"That wasn't the most shocking thing of all." Washu responded. She clicked a slide again, and this time showed the dead face of one of the soldiers. "Here is one of our troopers." After that, she clicked again, and showed the exact same face. Only this time, there was different battle damage. The blood was splashed differently, as was the wounds. "And here's another one." She clicked again after that, and showed the same face, but once again with different wounds. "And here's another. As some of you may have guessed what I confirmed through DNA analysis, all three of these soldiers look exactly the same. But this isn't a case of triplets fighting on the battlefield together. It's something much different…"

The slide changed again. This time, it showed a much older painting. The man in it was wearing much older clothing from the time of American colonialism. But after looking at his face for a moment, the people in the room began to realize something. He looked just like the dead soldiers.

"Meet Daniel Boone, supposedly one of the greatest American marksmen and frontiersmen ever. He won so much acclaim for his actions that he became almost a living legend. And if you think that somehow his relatives managed to join the army, think again. I make it a point to collect interesting DNA samples from everything I can whenever I reach a planet, and off of his corpse was no exception. On comparing it to the DNA that we had, I discovered something interesting. Apparently, these three share the exact same DNA as him. We aren't looking at look-alikes of Daniel Boone…we're looking at three Daniel Boones."

Several of the group members looked surprised at that. D, though showing nothing, was genuinely amazed as well. So he hadn't been imagining things. The soldiers were all alike. All of them were reproductions of a great American hero, one who excelled in skill and physical attributes. Yomiko, however…seemed to look uneasy at this. She wasn't surprised, but alerted. Nevertheless, the slides changed, and showed another dead and burned body.

"Here's one of our pilots." Washu addressed. She changed the slide, and sure enough found another ancient picture. This one was a black-and-white photograph, but the physical appearance was the same. "I cross referenced the DNA, and I found out that this man should have been dead a long time ago. It's a perfect match with Manfred von Richthofen AKA The Red Baron."

Yomiko stiffened a bit more at this, but Washu continued.

The next slide showed one of the dead officers. "And here is a lieutenant, based on the rank. I might add, it was written in Italian. Once again, he had an interesting background." The slide was changed again, and this time it showed not a photo or a portrait, but a rather withered and ancient rendition of a man. The style was distinctly Chinese, as was the man in it. "Meet Sun Tzu, the oldest known military tactician to have left a record. Apparently he's dusted off his bones and been rehydrated, because according to DNA evidence that dead body was him."

Another pause throughout the room at this. To D, this was a rather intriguing bit of information. He bet that Inuyasha didn't understand it given his background, but it was already clear to him. These were clones. After a moment, Inuyasha snorted and looked a bit confused, and sure enough voiced his lack of modern knowledge. "So…what? Were these guys demons or something that could break into more than one person?"

Almost immediately, a heavy stack of books appeared to materialize out of a hole in the sky right over Inuyasha's head. A moment later, they slammed down and landed right on his skull, throwing his face down and smashing it into the desk.

"WRONG!" Washu sharply responded. "And you didn't raise your hand!" With that, she softened up and looked to the others. "For the rest of you, these guys were, in layman's terms, clones. But not clones of just anybody. Whoever made these guys wanted the best of the best. They scanned their history textbooks and found the most famous historical militarymen that they could find. I must say, I'm a little impressed. For all those sci-fi reading Earthlings out there, I thought they just would have cloned anyone that they thought was pretty tough in this time period. But they actually got the people who perfected the art of their own craft. And given that so many of their designs were Da Vinci's, I'm betting that there are more clones than just the soldiers."

The others sat in silence for a moment. Inuyasha growled and slowly began to raise his body off the desk, the stack of books still balanced on his head. However, at this point, it appeared that Yomiko could hold back no longer. She had been holding her voice until this time, but now wanted to sound out what she had discovered. The young woman raised her hand immediately.

Washu smiled and pointed at her. "Yes, Ms. Readman."

Yomiko immediately rose from her seat, her face flushed with nervousness and concern. Then, she spoke up after a gulp. "I…I've seen something like this before."

The others turned to her at once. D himself suppressed a raised eyebrow. That was interesting. First a superhuman member of a Library Special Ops, and now she appeared to have experience with clones? Even Alucard seemed to be intrigued by this. Washu was the only one who didn't show any surprise, but rather intrigue. Yomiko stammered a moment, but then spoke up.

"Last year, we…I…my group fought against a force of clones called IGen. They were all famous historical figures, like Jean Henri Fabre, Otto Lillienthal, Ludwig van Beethoven..." She paused a moment at this. A deep sadness came over her, and she swallowed as she spoke one last time. "…and Mata Hari…" She paused again, but then raised her head and continued. "But they were clones. What more, they were all heartless. The only thing they cared about was destruction. Their leader wanted to kill everyone on Earth. What more, all of their old inventions had become larger…more dangerous. Like Fabre attacked me on a giant grasshopper. And Lillienthal had this huge war glider. Our mission was to destroy all the IGen. We thought we did that."

Alucard gave a little snort. "Apparently, you weren't all that efficient. That, or someone else is taking up their old habits."

Yomiko still looked uneasy, but then spoke up again. "There were only seven IGen before. There had to be hundreds here today."

Washu reached out and grabbed the bottom of her screen. She tugged once, and immediately it flipped up and vanished back into the hole in reality from whence it came. "This is one of the most interesting things I've run across in a long time." She spoke up again. "I think it merits a bit more investigation. I'm still not sure why they wanted that book, or even what was in it. And I still don't know how anyone can build a tank that big without anyone noticing. I'm going to look into this a bit more. Any of you are welcome to come along, if you like."

Inuyasha immediately snapped up at that, scattering the books from his head. "Hey, wait a second! You're supposed to be getting me back to my own time!"

"Oh, that'll take days to figure out." Washu responded, merely waving at him. "We can do this in the meantime."

Inuyasha bristled in anger, but realized he was helpless to the alien scientist. He crossed his arms and snarled.

Lupin merely shrugged. "Oh, what the heck. I normally don't work that well with people, particularly mini-scientists from Planet X, but if we're going to get Kei back then I'm game. Besides, maybe you'll be able to help me with my own problem."

Yomiko managed to snap out of her depression, but then gave a shrug. "Well, I guess I can come too. I still have a mission to complete, after all. And if we get that book back, then I'm definitely in."

D paused for a moment afterward. He kept his arms crossed and didn't move for a few moments. However, after a short period, he at last spoke out coldly, not showing any other emotion. "…I'll come."

Alucard turned his head to that, seeming to be intrigued at that response. "Really?" He asked. "Are you sure you aren't all that chivalrous, D?"

"Until your organization gets out of town and runs back to England," D calmly answered. "I can't do all that much in this country. I'm also a fugitive of Hellsing now. So long as I'm lying low, I might as well do something to stimulate myself."

Alucard paused in response to that. But in the end, he leaned his hat back down and obscured his eyes, giving another bone white grin from his enormous teeth. "Have it your way, then. I suppose I'm coming along as well. Remember, I'm supposed to be staying with you for the next few days. And per the orders of Sir Hellsing, I'm not to let you out of my sight and inevitably bring you back."

D said nothing in response to that.

Washu smiled and clapped her hands together. "Great!" She responded. "So we're all on the same page. So long as we're all having this little reunion, I'm going to get our other old friend over here. After that, I'm going to see if I can find any records of anybody getting DNA from our three famous bodies." With that, she turned and looked to Yomiko. "Since our new friend Ms. Readman is so apt at reading, she can help me out by trying to find records of any purchases of large amounts of materials, biological as well as metallic." She turned back to the others afterward. "The rest of you can check out the city to see if there's any clues lying around, or if the news is reporting anything about these guys."

Inuyasha still snarled and frowned. Alucard and D voiced no objections. Lupin turned and swallowed a bit at his traveling companions, each one more monstrous than the one before. However, he managed to turn back and offer a sheepish grin, and then waved on. "Eh, no problem. I'm an ace at this sort of thing. I'll just get us all disguised so no one recognizes us and we'll be down there in no time."

D grimaced inwardly at the thought of how their last disguised operation went. However, Lupin had proven himself in the end, and so he held his tongue.

"Alright then!" Washu cheered at the end. "We're off!"

* * *

Kei's memory was fuzzy as she woke up. She couldn't remember what exactly had happened, or where she was or what was going on. She had been dreaming, she remembered, but like so many times she couldn't remember what she had been dreaming about. She felt tired though, and sore. That much was obvious as she woke up. She wanted to keep lying down too, not wanting to rise so quickly or face whatever was waiting for her in the day. All the while, her mind wandered, unable to focus on where she was or what was going on.

At last, however, her eyes did crack open. As they did, she realized she was on her back. She looked around her new surroundings with a lazy expression, her mind still not working and still sore and sluggish. She noticed that the room she was in was almost completely dark. Small dim lights illuminated it, that seemed to be in the wall and yet heavily shaded. They seemed to be purple and dim, and yet somehow, Kei realized that she could easily see herself and the rest of the room without a purple shade. It was an interesting effect. The rest of the room was black and shining. It looked like it was made out of black, gleaming stone. A purple ring of light ran around the upper part of the wall, and seemed to be casting most of the light around. As for herself, when she looked down, she realized she was in some sort of large bed. It was simple and had no designs. She could really only see the mattress and the covers over her body. They all were black and smooth as well. She also noticed, however, that her injuries had been bandaged…the source of the soreness. However, she couldn't immediately remember what the source of the injuries had been…

Then, it hit her.

Her memories came flooding back at once. As they did, she immediately snapped up into a seated position. She looked down at herself. Apparently, she wasn't restrained, just in bed and bandaged. She was still wearing the slightly scored, ripped dress from earlier. But what was she doing here? She had just risked her life struggling to save that idiot Lupin…and then she was hit by that bomb… Obviously, she had managed to throw up a shield in time, but the strain was too great and she must have passed out. But if that was the case, then she should have been back on that ruined street, or in a hospital. Judging by her surroundings, however, she realized neither was true. In a flash, she realized she had to have been captured.

Kei immediately threw herself out of bed, ignoring the burns and sores across her body. Her feet were bare, but she quickly threw herself onto the cold, smooth floor anyway. She looked around again. On one corner of the ceiling, she noticed an empty hole with black wires hanging down from it. She ignored that, and looked around a bit more. Other than the dark yet gentle illumination, and the bed, there was nothing in the room save for a small table or stand against the wall. Against this, however, Kei noticed something else. A pair of jeans, a shirt, and a light jacket to go over it was neatly folded there, along with a pair of socks and some tennis shoes. She ignored these, however, and focused solely on one other item of interest: her gun.

The woman immediately rose and rushed over to it. She took up the weapon, and immediately released the clip. Once she did, she put the main weapon down and emptied the remaining shots from the clip into her hand. To her displeasure, she realized she had two bullets left. That was enough to stop whatever guard came in next, but other than that she had to have another weapon. She'd have to play it smart to get out of here…wherever here was. She replaced the shots into the clip and then put it back in the gun. Two bullets were better than nothing, she supposed.

As if on cue, Kei heard something. The door was clicking, as if someone outside was undoing a lock. Immediately, the psychic turned and glared in fear. But it was only a moment. Then, she quickly rushed over to the other side of the door. It appeared to slide in place, rather like those "futuristic" doors that had been on the rig years ago. However, she still felt alright as she pressed herself against the wall, raised her gun, and then looked out to the door to see the first person that would enter. Moments later, a hiss of steam went out from it, and the metal slid to one side.

As it did, a man entered. He wasn't like the soldiers from before, however. He was draped in black from his neck to his feet, wearing it like a cape or cloak. His face was hard and cold, but also appeared somewhat youthful, strong, and undeniable. It was also dark…as was the rest of his mannerisms. The room suited him well. He looked even darker and colder than D…even Larve. A cold ripple went down Kei's side as he entered. He had long black hair hanging behind him, and one of his cold, cool eyes was covered with a black patch that fit around the eyeball, rather than being held in place by a band of cloth as on other people. He was calm in all of his movements, controlled in everything. As he entered the door, he stopped where he was. He obviously noticed the empty bed ahead. The door slowly slid shut behind him. As it did, Kei realized it was her time to act.

Immediately, she pointed her gun forward and aimed it right at the man's temple. She cocked it, making sure he heard the noise in the dark and silent room. Immediately, the man froze. He didn't look surprised or scared, but didn't move.

The two were completely still for a moment. Kei leveled her gun at him, ready to blow him away at the slightest movement. As for the man, he merely stared darkly forward. He didn't even bother to turn his gaze to her. There were a few moments longer of dark silence. But then, he finally spoke. His voice was as dark as his expression…and seemed rough almost…like a beast.

"…Before you shoot me, perhaps you should pause long enough to wonder why, if I was an enemy, I bothered dressing your wounds and leaving you your gun."

Kei glared darkly back. She didn't respond to this but kept her weapon ready. "Where the hell am I?" She eventually asked.

"A remote facility." The man calmly answered. "Specifically, you are in one of the spare bedrooms."

"Why did you bring me here?" Kei immediately demanded.

"If I hadn't brought you here, you would now be dead." The man calmly responded, cool and controlled in everything. "My troops were ordered to kill all bystanders. You were unconscious. You are alive because I ordered them to bring you here. I was coming to see if you had awakened yet."

Kei frowned in response and continued to level her gun at him. "What is this? Some sort of attempt to make me your sex slave, or something?" She nastily accused, taking into consideration the décor.

"Not at all." The man went on, not at all miffed. "This room is mine. I prefer to live in a dark and simple atmosphere. I brought you here because you would only be safe here."

Kei continued to glare at him. "Pardon me if, after having gone through a hellish life and experiencing how sick and twisted this world can be, I doubt your altruism." She spoke this in a biting and sarcastic voice.

However, the man seemed totally unaffected. In fact…his voice grew darker, and unnerved Kei more. "I know…but you do not." He uttered dangerously through almost clenched teeth. "You think this world is a deadly, uncaring place…but I have seen it much, much worse than it is now, I assure you…"

Kei felt her eyes widen a bit. Her heart beat a bit faster and her palm began to sweat. As the man spoke, his voice seemed to fill the room and penetrate into her soul. It shook the very fiber of her being. However, she didn't let it linger. She snapped out of it, and turned fully to him with renewed focus and anger. "Who are you, anyway?"

"My name is Darcia." The man calmly answered, his voice returning to normal. "And I know you. You are Ms. Kei. Your reputation proceeds you, as you no doubt already are aware."

Kei wasn't interested in this small talk. She merely pushed the gun closer, actually touching the man's head. If possible, she soon realized with a mild snap of fear…the gun grew _colder_ when it touched him. "I don't have time for this bull. Get me out of here unless you want me to remove that other eye from the inside out."

Darcia paused in response to that. After a moment, he spoke back calmly again. "That will be more difficult than you think."

"Make it easy." Kei flatly responded.

The man paused again, but finally spoke once more. "…If you truly are intent on leaving the facility, then perhaps I can give you some idea of what you're dealing with. I will take you out of this room, but you will have to do as I say. First of all, you will have to put the gun down."

"Screw you." Kei shot back.

"Have it your way." Darcia coolly answered. "But know this. This facility is swarming with guards. If they see their commander being aimed at with a weapon, they will shoot to kill immediately. And do you think you can really fend off against an attack like that with only two bullets?"

Kei paused in response to this. She swallowed a bit and thought it over. To her displeasure, Darcia was right. She was still sore from having used so much of her mental power earlier. With just two shots, she wasn't going to have much room for error. She wanted to get a feel for her surroundings first. Still, she by no means trusted Darcia. In the end, however, she got an idea. Stepping back, but keeping her gun trained on the man, she went around behind him and over to the small stand. She could swear she felt cold as she went by him, but soon she made it over. She quickly took up the jacket, and, while shifting the gun to either hand, began to put it on.

"Those clothes are yours." Darcia calmly informed her, never turning his gaze. "I figured that you would rather wear something more concealing than the dress while you were here."

"I'm not going to be here for long." Kei flatly answered, as she finished putting on the jacket. Immediately, she put her arm down into her pocket that held the gun, and aimed it through the jacket at him. "And don't think I still can't shoot you in the head like this."

Darcia didn't answer. Instead, he calmly began to pull an arm out of his cloak. As he did, Kei saw that he had something in a black-gloved hand…a small remote with buttons. He looked ready to press it. Immediately, Kei's face turned to a sneer, and she pulled her gun out and aimed it at his head. "Drop it!" She ordered in a yell.

At that, Darcia finally turned and looked to her. Kei, for the first time, felt the power of his cold eye. As it went over her, her blood turned to ice in her veins. Her heart stilled, and Kei felt overwhelmed and consumed at once. Darcia seemed taller, darker, and more ominous than ever at that. It seemed as if he grew in size and became one with the shadows, and that Kei, with her pitiful little gun, was nothing more than a small frightened animal who was being played with. It took all her focus to reassert herself there and not back down.

"If I were you," He calmly addressed. "I would not shout again. This facility is by no means sound proof. In case you haven't noticed by now, the only one who even knows that you are here is me. I had some of my soldiers bring you here, and afterward I immediately dealt with them to make sure that no one knew that I simply didn't dispose of your body. If you don't believe me, then notice the fact that there are wires on the ceiling where a camera should be. And if I do not press this button on this remote right now, which will switch the footage on the other security cameras to show nothing more than a repeat of blank tape, then the security group will learn that you are here and will immediately send a detachment down to kill you and probably me for sheltering you here. So if you would like to die with me as well, then by all means I will drop it."

Kei paused at that. Sure enough, that's what the wires in the ceiling looked like. This man was dark and cold. Kei felt nervous at the idea of trusting him. But at the same time, she realized that she could be at his mercy. After being imprisoned on the rig…she was not eager to ever be a victim again, or in an unfamiliar situation. At last, she frowned and lowered her gun, replacing it back inside her pocket. That done, Darcia pushed the button. Nothing happened that was visible, and he calmly replaced it. With that, he turned and made for the door. It seemed to open automatically for him, and he began to walk out.

"Follow me…" He slowly remarked. As he did, and vanished into the doorway, however…he spoke again. "…Into the darkness."

Kei felt a lump in her throat at the sound of that. She couldn't believe this. She hadn't been scared since the Akira incident, and yet now Darcia was quickly stripping away at her courage and reducing her to a fearful girl. Determined to not be dissuaded, she swallowed and struggled to suppress her fear. That done, she boldly walked out of the room after him, keeping her gun aimed on him as she moved.

The two emerged into a dark, black metal corridor. It was dark in here, yet the dim light that illuminated it was pale rather than purple. It also seemed to be more metallic than gleaming stone. Darcia walked calmly and slowly forward. Kei moved in behind him…but only with greatest reluctance was she able to put herself next to him, where she could aim the gun at him better. The dark man was large compared to her, towering over her body, and seeming to be eminating so much darkness that it made Kei look small and pathetic by comparison…not to mention much lighter. However, she said nothing, although she frequently found herself looking to Darcia. Once they reached the end of this corridor, there was another door. It slid aside easily for them, and both of them passed through.

They moved into another black, dim corridor afterward. This one was horizontal to the one they emerged from, however, and it seemed to be more like a hallway. Kei saw that there were several doors alongside it, and way in the back there was another hallway that extended in either direction behind it. Darcia calmly turned to the left and made for this intersection. Kei looked around uneasily, but then followed behind her.

"I told the guards to leave this area." Darcia explained. "But do not think it will always be unguarded."

"Where are we?" Kei asked, continuing to break the silence.

"I already told you. In a remote facility."

"Where? Doing what? What is this place?"

"You shall soon see."

Kei, despite her annoyance and her advantage…went quiet at that, and followed Darcia along. They came to the end of the hall, and turned right onto the new one.

As they did, Kei saw some light up ahead. A pale white glow was shining. However, it had an odd quality to it. It seemed to be coming from a much larger area and room, and not from overhead. Darcia led her in this direction. They continued to walk forward for a bit longer, until they at last emerged from this hallway into a much larger chamber. Kei looked around more as they did so, taking in the new surroundings.

This "facility" had to be gigantic. As they emerged, Kei realized that they were coming on to some sort of enclosed corridor. It was thin, but it ran in either direction. It was only big enough for a few people to walk by, and it was dimly illuminated like before. However, unlike before, the walls to either side of her were made of glass. She could look out and see a much larger chamber in front of her. She did so now, forgetting about Darcia and instead focusing on the marvel before her. The opening was dark and metal, deep inside some sort of industrial facility, it seemed. There were walls here, but they maintained a cavity hundreds of feet across and thirty stories high. And in this cavity, Kei saw the strangest thing yet. A massive circular pillar was in the center, stretching down and up into darkness. Yet in this pillar, there were thousands upon thousands of tubes. They each shone with a pale whitish/blue light. Kei couldn't see much from here. It was a hundred feet to the nearest tube, and she was blocked by glass. But she could see that each was filled with fluid. What more, she noticed that there appeared to be a small humanoid shape in each one…like a baby. There were serial numbers above each tube, showing some sort of data about each one. But to Kei, they meant little.

Darcia turned and calmly led her on. Kei continued to stare at the massive cylindrical pillar for a moment, but then turned and went after him, almost forgetting to keep her gun on him. As she did, the area around the corridor expanded on either side. She soon saw that she wasn't walking so much down a corridor as a giant tunnel walkway that in and of itself was suspended far above the ground of the massive cavity that she walked through. And filling this cavity were more pillars, each with thousands of tubes. Each one had a baby in it…or something older. Some of them appeared child sized, floating in the fluid. Others were nearly man-sized. But there were more and more of them as they walked by. Outside the window, she saw one giant pillar after another covered with these tubes. They not only lined either side of the corridor that she walked through, but stretched back and deep into the facility as well. She turned back to Darcia as they walked along and ventured a question.

"What…what are these?"

"Clones." Darcia calmly responded. "A million of them are growing around us as we speak. It will take only a week for them to reach maturity and be ready, each one with preset knowledge that, as we speak, is being subconsciously fed into their developing brains. Their muscles are being primed and toned as well so that they will be fully articulate and battle-ready on emerging. More embryos are being synthesized and loaded into matriculation tubes every thirty minutes."

Kei hesitated and looked around more. "Clones of what?"

"You shall see." Darcia simply answered, and said no more. Kei felt a cold chill again, but continued to walk.

After passing through this forest of clone cylinders, Kei could at last see something else ahead. A massive metal wall was built in the cavity, and it appeared that they were coming to the end of it. The corridor, however, continued to run onward, through the wall and beyond. Darcia led them into it, and the glass terminated. For a few moments, the two walked through a normal black dimly lit hallway. But that soon ended, and the glass came up again. As it did, the two moved into a new cavity, this one far more brightly illuminated. Kei looked down and gazed in amazement at the new sight.

Far below her, in one large room made into the chamber after another, were soldiers. Hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers. They were exercising in some chambers, reading in others, eating in others, or working giant war machines in others. Kei recognized these war machines as the ones from before, with a few larger and more frightening additions. Some were training on simulators. Others were training with weapons. But as Kei looked down on them, she realized immediately what they were. Many of the basic soldiers looked identical. Others, the pilots, looked the same among each other as well. So did the heavy troopers, the amphibious units, the gunners, and every other specialty. The commanders all appeared to be the same on one rank, but on a higher rank a new identical mold was made for them. Kei knew at once that this was the end result of the clones…a massive army growing in number and power constantly.

"This is the last group of the first edition of clones." Darcia explained. "However, our leader has found a way to perfect them. Hence, those that can do labor will be sent to Neo Milan. The rest will be euthanized, liquefied, and then used as raw material for the second edition. That one will be stronger, smarter, and faster than these current units. These ones will remain until we have a sufficient guard force, then we shall begin processing them. There are about twenty thousand troops below you. Throughout the facility, however, we have some two hundred thousand. Most are guarding the facility. The others are training or building more war weapons."

Kei gazed about in astonishment. This was something out of science fiction. Then again…her life had already been very fictional in many respects. She supposed that seeing a massive army of clones shouldn't be that much of a shock. At last, she turned to Darcia and spoke again. "Why are you making them?"

"_I_ am not making them." He calmly answered. "The leader is; the head of the facility. I merely lead them on missions. I am the second in command. I have little say in whatever goes on in this facility."

Kei frowned a bit. "Then what does he want them for?"

"The leader is an idealist." Darcia calmly answered. "He wants to create a new society. The first part of his plan involves these clones. They are copies of the greatest military minds in history. With the addition of the book we have just recovered, the leader has the power to give them optimal minds as well as bodies. Once we have enough of the second edition ready, he will launch an attack on Washington D.C., which will cripple the capitol and leave the rest of the United States in chaos."

Kei didn't react as strongly as one would think. She was opposed to war…but the fact remained that she was an enemy of the US and engaged in an ongoing conflict with it. Still, she wanted them defeated…not necessarily in a state of chaos. She had lived in a power vacuum once. It was hell on Earth. She paused a bit, and then spoke up again. "Then what? You take control and declare yourselves leaders of the world?"

"Not right away." Darcia calmly answered. "The leader wishes to be more subversive. He despises the very nature of modern society. He wants to bring about its destruction. This attack will be a demonstration to the world; showing the power of cloned troops and new weapons. After that, the leader will put himself on the market. Countries all over the world will not react in fear or unity, but will want this power for themselves. And he will provide it for a hefty price of materials and land. He will use these new resources to continue on with phase two of his plan. In the meantime, the world will soon wage war on itself with these new weapons, struggling to grab up the planet now that the United States is in chaos. The world will collapse into ruin and society as we know it will degenerate into nothingness. The leader, being now the largest landowner and resource holder, will then gather the remnants of human civilization to himself and rebuild it in his image."

Kei was shocked. Her eyes widened, and her heart raced with fear. That was their plan? They were going to be the catalyst for a world-wide war? And once they were, they'd be there to sweep up the ashes? The plan was vile…but Kei realized it could work. She had seen once that people flocked to whatever order could be brought to them following a major crisis. They'd follow the devil if he guaranteed them food, water, and shelter. Immediately, she reacted. Her face turned to anger, and she rushed forward and past the man. Once she was in front, Darcia came to a stop. Ignoring the warnings, Kei raised her arm up and pointed the gun right between his eyes.

"I won't let you." She coldly stated.

Darcia gazed calmly back at her. As he did…she felt his eye again. It was so powerful…so cold… It began to smother her resolve even as she stared at it. Yet he calmly went on. "What good will killing me do, Kei? The leader will live. And his plan will be carried out."

"And you're going to help him with it?" Kei darkly challenged.

"I think his idea is as flawed as the rest of the society he so loathes." Darcia answered.

"Then why aren't you doing something about it?"

Darcia, at this…seemed to grow twice as dark and twice as powerful. His face seemed to fade, and his eye blazed with more power than ever. Kei felt her body begin to weaken. She grew dizzy, and fear rose in her again no matter what she tried to do to stomp it out. When he spoke again, his voice was colder and darker than before.

"…Why should I?" He answered simply. "Is this society something so precious and pure that it is worthy of being saved? Are our governments so strong and benevolent that we should concern ourselves with their welfare? They're corrupt. They were built on a faulty, selfish system, and though others have tried to purify them, their foundations are weak from the same selfishness that brought them into being. You should know that, Kei. The rest of the world turned on your nation following the Akira incident."

Kei paused in response to that. Darcia had a point there. One of the reasons Kei was a rebel was because she hated what the government eventually did to them all. She was by no means an anarchist, but she was for change. And right now, no change was coming. Still, that only softened her a bit. She didn't want innocent people to suffer, desensitized as she was to it all by now. She had seen far too many die, crushed like insects by powers larger than them doing battle, without so much as a thought in their direction.

"At any rate," Darcia continued, softening and easing his dark emotions. "Rebellion is futile. These clones were all made to be loyal to the leader above all others. They will do whatever I tell them, but they will still obey the leader beyond me. They will kill me as easily as you if I try to stop anything."

Kei frowned in response to this, but then spoke back. "Then I'll do it."

"Impossible." Darcia simply answered.

"Bullsh't."

"Resistance is hopeless here, Kei." Darcia went on. "The entire facility is automated. Automatic guns and lasers are everywhere in the wall. Gas can be deployed at a moment's notice. Entire sections can be locked down. You couldn't so much as kill one soldier before being sealed in a chamber and smothered. Even at full power, your ability is hardly enough to take all of these people out. You'd run out of strength long before it. However, your brain is already damaged from that latest encounter, and it will be days before you can manage your full power. There are thousands of soldiers here ready to attack you in that time.

"If you could subdue them, the leader is ready to escape on one of our tanks immediately in case of a threat. This entire facility is buried three miles under the surface of Antarctica. The only accessible way is capable of being both locked down and blown up, and is filled with guards. The vehicles are accessible only by clones, conforming to their retinas, voice patterns, key cards, and DNA scans. So if you did manage to get to the surface, you would then find yourself a hundred miles away from the nearest human settlement…and surrounded by miles of arctic wasteland."

Kei paused after hearing all that. In all honesty, she had no idea how to get around even the first of those obstacles, let alone all of them. With planning, time, and focus of her psychic powers, it might be possible. But for now she could do nothing. She realized, soon after, that her best chance of getting out might be right in front of her.

"Then why don't you help me?"

"Even I wouldn't be able to deactivate security to get you to the leader or out the central tunnel." Darcia answered. "The only reason I was able to get you into here was due to a vehicle. I cannot get you out on one without going through eight checkpoints and alerting no less than two hundred clones. You aren't a prisoner, or most likely dead, now because the clones that captured you have already been decommissioned and liquefied. Now only I know you are even here. Escape is hopeless."

Kei grit her teeth angrily. She wanted to shoot Darcia and wipe that cool look off his face right now. But she realized now that it was hopeless. Killing him would accomplish nothing. If what he said was true, then she was stuck. She was only alive because of him. She realized she was totally helpless. She needed time to recover and time to plan an escape. She also needed more equipment and probably a better weapon. She had nothing now, nothing except her small gun, her black dress, and a light jacket.

Sighing loudly, Kei lowered her gun at last. She nearly let it fall out of her hand. "…Then I am a prisoner." She finally responded in frustration.

"Perhaps." Darcia calmly answered. "However, you are alive, which is more than what you would have been. There yet may be time for you to escape. I will try to remove you, if you wish. However, I cannot do so at this time. I have far too many responsibilities already demanded of me. Furthermore, escape from this part of the facility is near to impossible. The best bet is to first try and move you to Neo Milan. There is less security there, and I would be able to move items to you and contact you more easily."

Kei looked up and glared at him. "Pardon me if I don't think of you as a friend or ally at this time." She flatly stated. "I still don't know if you're just feeding me crap to keep me from trying to escape."

"If you don't believe me," Darcia calmly responded. "Then by all means, try to escape. See how far you get as you are. But if I were you, I would at least wait a few days until your psychic powers have recovered, or a week until the troops move out. Then you have a slim chance of success. Until then, you will not only endanger yourself, but also me when I have to explain why you got into the facility."

Kei sighed and rolled her eyes in response, but then looked to the ground in frustration.

However, Darcia calmly turned and began to walk back. "You only have a few minutes before the cameras revert and the patrols return. We must return you to your room."

_You mean cell._ Kei darkly thought. However, dark as Darcia was, she realized that he could be telling the truth. She could be dead now if she hadn't been brought here. And what would they have to gain by keeping her alive? Certainly nothing with these clones. If they were trying to confuse her into giving something away, there was little that she could give. And for the moment, escape was impossible. Once her powers were back there would be a chance, but for right now she _was_ all but helpless. And so, powerless to resist, she turned and followed after the dark man.

After a few minutes, they were back. Darcia walked in first, and Kei sighed and reluctantly followed. Once both were inside, the door slid shut behind them. Kei walked in a bit, while Darcia raised the remote and pressed a button on it again.

"Now, it will look as if I'm just coming out." Darcia explained.

Kei turned to him with a sour frown. "Won't they think that you spent a little too much time in here?"

"These are part of my private chambers." Darcia calmly answered. He gestured to his right at that. Kei looked, and sure enough, she now noticed another door was on the side. "That leads into my study. Feel free to move about within my chambers as you see fit. There are no security devices there, and no patrols will come by." He gestured back over to the table next. "I brought you those clothes so that you would have something more practical to wear. I can bring you anything else that you want for you to pass the time with, if you desire."

Kei merely glared at him. "A map of facility and one of those laser rifles will be sufficient, thank you."

Darcia merely shrugged. "I understand you want to plan your escape, but that is not in the foreseeable future. I thought you would want to amuse yourself for a few days."

"Thanks, but I think I'll be planning getting out of here." Kei snapped back.

"Very well." Darcia answered. With that, he calmly turned and walked back to the door. It slid open a moment later, and after he walked out of it, the door slid shut right behind him. Immediately on leaving, the room seemed lighter and warmer. It was as if a dark cloud had passed out of the room. Kei stared back at where he had left for a moment. Her imprisonment sank into her, and she realized how desperate her situation was.

At long last, however, the woman sighed and turned to the table…and after a pause walked over to begin changing.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. Sonata

Chapter Four

_May 6, 2017 – Tokyo, Japan_

* * *

D had changed.

He always preferred his normal set of clothing. They concealed him from the sun and they added to the mannerisms he liked about him. Also, they were practical for sleeping outdoors and traveling long distances exposed to the elements. However, as Lupin had been so kind as to point out, it also made him an easier target to spot. Everyone in Hellsing knew he'd be dressed like that. And so, he was once again forced to rely on a disguise.

D hadn't looked this "normal" in years. His dark clothing and large black trench coat had been replaced by a normal set of loafer shoes, a pair of jeans, a light short sleeve shirt, and a leather jacket over it. He wore a simple biker glove over his "special" hand. His hat, for once, was gone. His hair was tied back out of his face and, remarkably, was shorter. Undone, it only came down to his neck now. He hated cutting his hair. However, he fortunately had one of those traits of vampires regarding appearance. His body continued to maintain its appearance from maturity, regardless of how he tried to change it. That was why he had been unable to grow any facial hair his entire life. (Indeed, very few vampires had beards or mustaches.) His hair would grow out again by morning. Lastly, to help mask his cold appearance, he wore a set of sunglasses. He didn't quite agree with this attire, but it did conceal him and it made him look radically different from the hunter of that morning.

D was seated in a small coffee shop at the moment, near the window. It was night now, however, so he didn't mind the outside. He had sat here not to be seen, but rather to keep a close eye on a television that was playing. After some talking with the owner, he had managed to secure the remote as well. In addition to watching it, he was pouring over a newspaper beneath him. The enemy had been remarkably efficient, it seemed. There were few to no witnesses of what had happened that morning. What the news was reporting was the giant tank having broken its way into the city, destroying everything in its path. According to report, the massive weapon had rolled out of the sea. So it was submersible as well. After they had gotten what they came for, they had rolled back to the ocean afterward. D had no idea of how fast the vehicle could move when in the water, so for all he knew it could be anywhere now. At any rate, by tomorrow Japan's army was going to be mobilized and ready to counter any new threat. In the meantime, the nations of the world were defending themselves, claiming none of them had been the perpetrators of this act. So all in all, this part of the investigation was not turning up much.

"Anything of notice?"

D looked slightly up at that. As he did, he saw a rather grungy, grizzled, half bent old hobo staggering forward. His clothing was shabby and dirty. His beard was old and frizzled, and flecked with debris. His face was hard and tan from having spent many days outdoors. He wore an old hat low over his head. However, this man gave D a strange sort of smile, and then hobbled over to the nearby chair across from him. Once there, he readily turned and plopped himself down in it. To anyone else, a hobo coming in to talk to D might have seemed unusual. But D knew very well who this one was… Alucard had the power to disguise himself better than any of them. He could actually grow old or young, and change his physical appearance. Even his yellow eyes were gone.

D looked up at him and gazed back darkly as he sat. "…No."

Alucard didn't respond. He merely leaned back and gazed at D. There was silence between them for a moment. Either one simply looked at each other. At length, however, Alucard leaned back a bit more and spoke.

"Would you like to continue our discussion now?"

D was silent in response to this. He leaned back a bit and crossed his arms, and then bowed his head, as if his hat was still there to conceal his true feelings and appearance. A pause occurred after that. Alucard himself calmly leaned back and folded his hands in front of him, waiting for a response from D. At long last, D did give one.

"…Why haven't you killed me yet?"

Alucard seemed intrigued by that. He raised an eyebrow and gave a hard look at the dhampire before him. After a moment, however, D continued. "You hate all those beneath you, but especially those related to your race. A dhampire should combine the worst of both human and vampire worlds. And now your 'boss' has given you the order. So why haven't you?"

Alucard merely smiled in response. "I don't want to kill anything I can get some amusement and intrigue from first." He simply answered. "Being alive for a few hundred years makes you eager for stimulation."

D showed nothing in response to this. He didn't even move.

"…I'm surprised you didn't kill me the moment you opened the door and saw me standing there."

Alucard merely smiled in response to this. Though his eyes were no longer yellow, they continued to flash dangerously at him.

D hesitated a moment longer, but then continued. "…She always talked about you, you know. That's all she ever did. Perhaps if I was born sooner, she wouldn't have been so far gone. But by then she spent almost all her time as listless as the rest of your victims…lying around, waiting for 'her beloved' to feed on her again. It wasn't until I was four I even knew your name. She just kept calling you 'her beloved'."

Alucard calmly sat in response to that, showing no change.

D didn't look up either. "…Do you even care that she reached that point?"

Alucard said nothing. He continued to smile his wicked look.

…_That's what I thought._

D turned his gaze more downward than before. He paused for a moment in response. "…She thought the world of you, you know. She thought she was helping you. She thought you were just an innocent victim in all this…that she could restore your humanity. Whenever she did regain enough of herself, she would cry all day long about you. She feared she was growing too weak, that she couldn't keep sate your appetite again. She never even said anything to me. She talked to me less than you did."

"So what?" Alucard simply responded. "Is that what this is all about?" His voice turned mocking. "Mommy spent all her time with daddy and left you neglected and emotionally scarred for life? Or is this some sort of Oedipus complex?"

"…I've long since accepted the fact that you never cared whether I lived or died, or what my emotional state was." D simply answered.

However, to this, Alucard gave a grim and biting snort. It was so cold that it even pierced the stoic vampire. "You are an ungrateful brat." He simply told him. "When I _did_ see you at the door, you know what I remember? You were cold, starving, and pathetic. You had no idea of what you were. You just let that race spit on you and kick you, push you down and make you beneath them. You sickened me. The fact that you had such a lack of respect for yourself, that you were such a crying, pathetic boy, made me take you under my wing. And once I did, I taught you how to survive. I taught you how to respect who you were. I taught you to use your powers. And the most you have is this contempt for me? You stupid sh'thead. I could have let _them_ have you. I could have killed you right there. I made you what you are." He gestured to him after this.

"This stoicism? This coldness? This chivalry? Do you really think it's yours? Do you think you had, then or now, the strength of character to give it to yourself? You think you made yourself into this?" He snorted again. "Bullsh't. _I_ made you. I took you from being another sobbing child and turned you into a man. Everything you have is mine. You were nothing without me. If not for me, you'd still be nothing."

D was silent in response to this for a moment. But when he did speak again, his own voice was low and dangerous.

"…_This_ is what you gave me. When I saw how heartless, uncaring, and thoughtless you were, you gave me my mission in life. When I was a child, I imagined you to be someone great and noble, someone _worth_ saving as Mina always said you were. Then when I met you, and I saw that you drank from no less than three virgins a night, when you broke their necks the next morning without a thought to anyone, when you did nothing but satiate your own endless hedonism and thirst, that's when I hated you. Mina had thrown her life away for this…for you. She was never anything more than a one-night stand to you. You didn't care for anything."

"And were the humans all that better?" Alucard simply addressed.

"They cared for _something_." D answered. "You cared for nothing but yourself. Life lost all meaning to you. It was just one endless orgy of blood and pleasure for you. _You_ sickened _me._ Now every time one of them out there tells me I'm a traitor to my race, or offers me power, or begs me from 'one brother to another' to spare them, I think of you. I think of you leaning back in that large chair with your face and body bloated like a tick, and that look of satisfaction on your eyes as you drooled still warm blood from your lips, and I strike without any further thoughts of regret or mercy."

Alucard said nothing in response, but he didn't look affected. Alucard, D knew, cared nothing for what anyone thought, much less any of his brides or offspring. There was another pause of silence between them. This one was the longest yet. D looked up and back to him in that time, but said no more. Finally, Alucard merely turned his head and leaned back a bit more.

"Well, I hope you feel better for getting all that off your chest." He simply stated. "It appears we still don't see eye to eye. Although I'm wondering why you think of all this just now, of all times." He paused a moment, then smiled wider. He gestured behind him…either to the coffee stand…or to a group of young people talking and laughing at another table.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

* * *

"Alright, come on in."

The electrician gave a nod to the library guard with his hat after that, and then freely walked underneath the police tape barrier and into the ruins of the Tokyo Metropolitan Library. He paused for a moment after entering, however, and turned around. Another electrician, frowning with his arms crossed, was pouting outside at the entrance. However, the first merely shifted his toolbox into one hand, and then reached out and seized him by the shoulder, dragging him in. He ripped the tape as he went, causing the guard to frown at them for making a mess, but soon both were inside. As the second grumbled, the first turned, grinned, and gave another nod to the guard. Then they both turned and went in.

Inside was already dark. The lights were sparking on and off, and occasionally some bits of electricity would fly from an outlet or a light. However, neither of the electricians cared. They merely went deeper into the library. Outside, there was a mass of sirens, radios, police, firefighters, and reporters. The street where the tank had attacked had become a mess. The police were desperately trying to get people away from the area while people in ambulances arrived to carry away the bodies. Reporters clustered at the barriers bombarding everyone with questions about what had gone on. It was night now, and darkness shrouded everything. There were lots of police lights outside, but inside the library was dim and flickering. The two electricians went a bit further inside, until they felt that they were sufficiently far away from the entrance and from prying eyes and voices. They found themselves turning one of the corners of the main hallway, heading toward the exhibit area. Once in there, however, the first yanked off his hat, followed quickly by the second.

Inuyasha angrily dug into his eyes and rubbed them. Moments later, he pulled out two contact lenses, revealing his own canine, shimmering, yellow eyes. He then angrily rubbed his hair, which was tied back and now brown. "Why did she have to put that stuff in my hair!" He complained. "I was doing fine without it! Now I'm going to be brown-haired!"

"Oh, it'll wash out in a few days." Lupin responded. Normally he would throw in a playful insult…but he didn't want to risk getting the hanyou angry. "Let's just get to that exhibit and look for clues."

Inuyasha grumbled, but did as he was told.

After a few more moments, Lupin and Inuyasha managed to find a path of destruction. Apparently, the soldiers had torn up anyone who got in their way, and the bodies hadn't been cleared yet. They tiptoed over fallen people and scattered books and pages, both riddled with bullet holes. A few of the bookcases were tipped over farther in, and they had to step over these as well very carefully. They continued to move in a bit more, and finally they came to the exhibit hall.

This area was a clearing in the library. Huge columns were put up and creating a huge domed glass ceiling overhead. The bookcases were put to one side, leaving a huge circular space in the middle. There were banners hanging down here, advertising the event, and other decorations. There were more bodies here, unfortunately. Most of the people had been here when the tank attacked. There were more bullet holes and signs of destruction. However, in the midst of all this, Lupin noticed there were also exhibits. Large, locked glass cases were everywhere inside. They seemed to be reinforced with plexiglass, and he bet that when the power had been on they had been reinforced with security alarms and lasers. This was normally no problem for Lupin to bypass, but it appeared to be even less of an issue here. Security systems had to have long since been deactivated.

"Well, here we are." Lupin announced as they arrived. "Come on. Let's start seeing if the clones left us any clues."

Inuyasha snorted again, but then made one giant leap from behind Lupin, sailing over his head, and then landing right in the center of the room. Once there, he began to look around and sniff, eyeing the bodies and the cases around him. Lupin paled for a moment and stared in utter surprise at what had happened. But that only lasted a second. Then, swallowing a little, he stepped down and began to look as well.

While Inuyasha cast debris aside and began to dig around the dead civilians, Lupin made his way straight to the display cases. He had a good grasp for things of value and how they connected to that value. He felt that if he could see what book it was that was stolen, or maybe look around these other old books, he could figure out how it could be of use. But once he got there and began to look around, he soon frowned in disappointment.

"Hmm…a Gutenberg Bible…a scroll of Tale of the Genji…Machiavali's first draft of The Prince… These are all priceless in their own right. But I don't see how they would really be worth stealing to whoever pulled up this afternoon. It looks like they didn't have much trouble with money…"

Inuyasha didn't answer, but continued to sniff and dig around. Lupin kept looking, until he finally saw something. There was a break in the plexiglass up ahead. It looked as if it had been melted almost, for there was an oddly circular hole with molten bits of twisted glass seeming to be frozen from dripping away from it. When he looked inside, he saw that this hole was right in front of a blank spot on the display.

"Hello…what have we here?"

Lupin moved in a bit more to this. He gave a quick look around, and soon noticed that aside from the rest of the books, this appeared to be the only theft. This was interesting. He soon stood before it and looked in through the hole. For a moment, it appeared that he wouldn't know exactly why this one book had been so important as to steal and leave the others behind until he saw a master list of the display objects. But then, he saw something else. There was a description card posted right in front of where the book had been. It was knocked over, but Lupin reached in and raised it up, and then read what it said.

_(1519)_ "Diagrams of the Human Brain", Leonardo Da Vinci – This remarkable addition to our collection was recently rediscovered hidden in a wall of the home of Francesco Melzi, Da Vinci's benefactor at the time of his death. This work was quite possibly Da Vinci's final set of diagrams. Da Vinci's previous works on anatomy are continued in this book, which places considerable emphasis on the brain, neurons, and neural functions. This remarkable work indicates that Da Vinci's had early theories on the workings and function of the brain as well, many of which were rediscovered only decades ago. For the first time, this amazing piece is on exhibition for the world to see the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci one last time.

Lupin frowned on reading it. "That's it?" He asked rhetorically. "Just some priceless book on brains? They tear up this block of the city just to get this book? Man…this guy really _does_ have Da Vinci on the brain, literally!"

"Hey! Over here!"

Lupin turned at this. As he did, he noticed that Inuyasha had picked up something. It appeared to be a small metal pallet, rather like one of those PDF pads. He turned and held it over to the rogue. "This glowing thing has their scent all over it. They must have brought it in here."

Lupin immediately turned and ran over to the dog demon. Once there, he took the pad from his hand and looked at it. Thankfully, it was still on from earlier. And yet Lupin soon found he could make little of it. The notes were not entered in, but rather had been written down on the notepad function. What more, it was in some sort of bizarre language, rather like the insignias had been on the jackets of the others before. Lupin paused for a moment, looking this over, and trying to make sense of it. Then, at once, it suddenly hit him.

"Oh, now I get it." He spoke aloud. "Da Vinci always wrote his notes backwards, so that they could only be read in a mirror. This is in Italian too, and I'm a little rusty. I guess the best we can do right now is take this back to Washu and have her flip it over for us."

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and pointed at it. "What's that thing supposed to be, anyway?"

"It's our only lead." Lupin simply replied, and began to rush back over to the glass case. "I'm going to take this information plaque too. Hopefully, thanks to the child prodigy we have, we'll be able to make some sense out of all this and find out what's going on."

* * *

About an hour later, the group had returned to the Ryo-Ohki. Thankfully, Washu had given them all teleporters that instantly returned them to the ship. She was out at the time, leaving a small note with a smiley face on it. However, on returning, Lupin, Inuyasha, D, and Alucard readily abandoned their disguises. Soon after, Yomiko had arrived, but waited until the others were assembled before describing what she had found. After that, the group stood still and waited for a while for their scientist to return. It took about another twenty minutes, but at last they heard some footsteps from behind where they were assembled.

The group turned around behind them, and saw that Chibi Washu was calmly strolling into the chamber. However, she wasn't alone. A young boy dressed in clothing from what had to be over two hundred years ago was following her. His hair was neck length, save over his face, and his eyes shone a powerful, stunning, blue color that pulsed with wisdom and age. It took no time at all for Inuyasha, D, and Alucard to sense that the youth was not human. D, of course, recognized him immediately as the young spirit that had joined with them toward the end of the last journey.

"I see everyone else is here, along with some new people." Kohaku spoke as he walked into the chamber.

Lupin grimaced a bit at the arrival. "Great…another monster." He moaned aloud. "Hey kid, I thought you were supposed to be hanging out with your girlfriend or something?"

Kohaku frowned a bit in reply to that as he entered. Once he came to a stop in the center of the room, along with Washu, he sighed a bit and bowed his head. "…While I am barely any older physically than I was when we met…Chihiro is now a young woman. And like all older people…I fear she is beginning to let go of the part of her that believed in people like me and the world in which I came from. She hasn't spoken to me in months… She doesn't even notice me sometimes when I come up to her." He paused a moment, and bowed his head a bit more. "…I don't think she will miss me being gone for a few days."

Washu gave a pause for a moment at that. She looked to him, and it seemed as if she almost had a regretful look. However, that was her trait. She seemed to have a sympathy for all children, even ones that weren't human. It seemed to affect her that Kohaku obviously had problems. But she didn't dwell long. After a moment, she turned to the others and spoke up. "Alright guys. What's the story?"

"There was little on the news that was worth noting." D began. "The only useful bit of information that I learned was that the tank can travel underwater. So far, there have been no other attacks, and no country or group is claiming responsibility. They have the world's governments aroused, but nothing more."

Yomiko sighed as well. "Sorry, but I couldn't turn up much. There have been a lot of large purchases, but none of them were the same person."

Lupin likewise gave a shrug. "I'm not really sure what good any of what we found is…but we discovered that the book was a Leonardo Da Vinci as well. It was some book he did on brains or something. We also found this." With that, he held up a small PDF that was still on, waving it around for the group to see. "The dog man says that this thing came from them. I can't make out anything on it. It's written in Italian, but it's also backwards, just like Leonardo Da Vinci."

Washu held out her hand to this. "Here, give it to me. I'll run it to the computer, and in no time flat I'll have it reversed and translated-"

"Oh, you don't have to do that."

The group turned to who had spoken, and soon found themselves looking at Yomiko. A look of pleasantness was on his face, as if she was suddenly happy. She rushed forward and immediately snatched the PDF out of Lupin's hand, and turned it over and looked at it. "I can read it. I've read Da Vinci's notes before. And I'd be glad to read something I haven't read before."

The others were silent in response to that, but let Yomiko take it. She quickly ran her eyes over it, scanning the PDF for what it said. After a moment, however, she began to form a confused expression. There was a bit of a longer pause from her, and then she reached up and scratched her head. "Hmm…that's strange." She simply uttered.

"What is it?" D asked.

"It's not any message…it's just a list." Yomiko replied, sounding a little confused.

"A list of what?"

"Books." Yomiko answered. "Books about…industry…land value…which countries are the richest and which have what raw materials… It looks like they were just looking for facts."

There was a pause among the others for a moment at this. What did this mean? What good would any of this do them? However, it didn't last for very long. Alucard soon gave a snort of his own, sounding through the chamber. The others looked to him soon after. To their surprise…the vampire soon made his first real contribution to the group.

"It's quite obvious, really." He explained. "Large as that tank was, this was no army or fighting force. The culprit needs more biological material and raw materials in order to build a true army. His next goal, therefore, is acquiring these goods so that he has the power to build a much larger army."

Yomiko blinked in confusion at this. She looked down to the list, and then back up to Alucard. "But…these places have thousands of tons of resources. Even if he could get them all, where would he put all this stuff? How would he move it? And how could he assemble everything?"

Lupin, however, merely crossed his arms in reply. "Hey, when you can make instant manpower through these clones, who needs a work crew? It makes sense too. I've tried to rob all sorts of valuables and secrets before, but who ever heard of robbing an iron foundry? Or a genetics lab? Sure, it may have value, but only if you can make something out of it. While every country will be guarding their valuables or munitions, this guy will be sending them after the pieces for his war machine."

Alucard, however, gave a pause to this. He lowered his head slightly and raised a hand to his chin. He paused and thought over this for a moment. "Hmm…"

Kohaku noticed this, and looked up to him. "What's the matter?"

"…Either this human is a bigger fool than I thought…" Alucard slowly responded. "…Or our theory is wrong. If this thief is right…"

"Hey!" Lupin protested in a hurt voice.

"…Then the most that they will get is a few secret raids." Alucard finished. "It will take more than one type of raw material to be able to build another weapon like the one that attacked this morning. They will have to make several hits. And after the first few strikes, the governments of this world will realize their true intentions and redirect their effort to protecting their raw materials. What more, they'll actively be searching for signs of heat and smoke. It will not be possible to conceal a kind of construction such as this for long."

Kohaku merely gave a shrug in response to this. "It's no matter. A simple charm would easily conceal any sort of factory that they were constructing."

The others turned to Kohaku and gave him a slight frown. Evidently, Inuyasha wasn't the only one who was behind the times. Lupin groaned and sighed to himself while Yomiko scratched her head in confusion. Washu, however, merely turned to Kohaku with a slight smile. "Sorry, kid." She told him. "But the market on magical charms is somewhat spirit-world limited, get my drift?"

"…That's not entirely true." D coldly responded, causing people to give him some looks next. However, there was no reason for that. "However, in cases such as this, traditionally the enemy doesn't think of these sorts of things. Regardless of whether or not the enemy plans to take these resources by force or by another means, this is our only indication of their next move."

Inuyasha folded his arms underneath his kimono and snorted. "So why are we talking about it? Let's just go over there and take them."

"Oh, it may not be that simple, Benji." Washu chimed in, causing Inuyasha to bristle yet again. "If they're aware that we have this list, then they'll probably not go in any certain straightforward order. That's assuming they would in the first place. They'd probably leave the targets that are worth the least amount of resources for last, and would hit the ones that would net the most variety of resources first. That's if Mr. Tepes' theory is correct."

Here, Washu gave a look over to Alucard. For a moment, the vampire, if possible…seemed to look a bit surprised. D had never seen Alucard show surprise in his life, but for a moment he seemed to show just the slightest hint in his burning yellow eyes. It was in reaction to Washu's name calling. It was well enough, D knew, for that was his true identity. The fact that another knew it made the vampire react. However, the glimmer of surprise vanished soon after. Alucard realized from the tone of voice that it was purely playful, calling him after the one he resembled, not actually accusing him and being that person. He relaxed somewhat after that.

Yomiko blinked for a few moments, but then shrugged. "Great. So where do we start?"

Washu paused a moment, but then smiled and gave an exaggerated, cheerful shrug.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

_May 7, 2017_

* * *

_This is not what I had in mind._

Kei swore in a whisper as she flung the useless document on top of her bed. She still hated being in this place with all this smooth blackness. It looked like something out of a horror film. However, she was able to sit here, and there was little else in the room but the floor. For right now, she was throwing the map that Darcia had provided to her during her "hiding", which to her was the same as imprisonment. While the map did provide the layout of the place, she couldn't read what was what. Everything was written in some sort of bizarre language. Sighing, she looked up and out around the room.

Two days had passed since she had awakened here. Since then, she had been confined almost entirely in her room. She hadn't risked calling Darcia's bluff yet, but if things went on like this she might. He still hadn't gotten her any real weapons. He claimed inventory wouldn't allow for it. However, he did manage to get her a gun clip. It was better than nothing, she supposed, upping her bullets to ten instead of two. She had changed into the clothing provided as well. Darcia offered to secure her a place to take a shower as well, but she had angrily refused. The last thing she needed was him to secretly watch her while she was naked. However…based on his manners, Kei believed that sex wasn't the only thing on this man's mind, unlike with other people. In fact, it seemed to be low on his list of priorities. He had also provided her with food, asking each time what she would like to eat. Kei wasn't going for this "room service" treatment, however, and wanted only the same rations the clones ate.

She was getting sick of being here. Not only was it imprisonment, it was boring her to death. Darcia constantly offered to bring her things to amuse herself with, but Kei had refused every time. She was more concerned with what was going on outside. Those clones would attack in five days, and then everyone around the world would be scrambling for them. Neo Tokyo was probably included. Then, millions of innocent people would die. She had to keep telling herself that last fact…because she had become so grim and hardened by war that the thought of this army destroying the capitol of the United States brought some satisfaction to her mind. She had to do something to stop these people. She didn't know what exactly in here, but if she could get out then maybe she could get others to come in and take it out. After all, these guys had to be enemies of Japan by now. Their army alone would probably be enough to take it out. But they had allies too, and they'd be ready to lend a hand…

As Kei thought about all this, her plans for escape, and what she was supposed to do with the map…she suddenly hesitated. She heard something… She paused for a moment and then looked up, and tried to hear what it was. A brief moment went by, but the sound did not cease. It was soft and changing…a variety of tones. And it had a direction. She slowly turned her head, and looked over to the left. Her eyes soon rested on a part of the black wall in her chamber that was slightly irregular from the rest of the wall. She realized it was the door that led into the other area of Darcia's quarters.

Kei hadn't bothered to go through this yet. She saw little of interest in going through his room, especially since he seemed to want her to. However, after a moment, she began to think. That sound was coming from there…and she began to grow curious as to what it was. Something had to be making it. She hadn't heard anything from that room for two days. Did it mean Darcia was there? And if so, then perhaps she could find out what was with the map, or get some real answers or help from him. What more…she was a little bored. Anything to stimulate her was welcome at this point. And so, after a bit longer, she exhaled a bit and then rose from the bed. She put her legs over the side, stood up, and then walked over to the opening.

As Kei neared the door, she heard the sound more strongly. It was still soft, but it was beginning to have a sort of rhythm or melody to it. She reached the door after a moment, and then looked to the side. It seemed that there was a simple button, almost blending in with the wall, right next to it. However, she paused a moment.

Now that she was closer to the sound…something was changing. Her annoyance was abating a little. Her anger was subsiding. In its place…she felt nervous. Her body hesitated. She began to feel the same cold feelings that she had felt before…and they unsettled her. She reached to push the button…but then froze and retracted her fingers. Her heart began to tremble… Why was that? Why was she acting this way? What was unsettling her so? She grew angry with herself at this, and pushed back her fear with determination. After a pause longer…she slowly extended her first finger and pressed the button. Silently, the door slid open.

Kei marveled as she entered. It was even darker in here. And to her astonishment…the darkness seemed to come out and fill her room as well. The air grew cooler and quieter, and Kei felt herself involuntarily give a shudder. She swallowed a moment, but then uneasily took a step forward into the room. Once she was in, the door readily slid shut behind her. She gave a start at that. Strange…why was she so scared of that? Why was she so jittery? She had to hold herself to keep from fearfully turning around and watching the door cut her way out again. But she didn't in the end, and observed the room.

It was indeed blacker than the previous room. It lacked any electrical light here. Soft candles burning soft flames instead lit it. And yet, the candles seemed to be burning a purple light. That wasn't entirely unnatural. Modern chemicals made it possible. However…it did unsettle her. It made the room ghostly and unnerving. She felt her hands sweat a little and her tongue moisten her lips. Much of the room was empty, but it stretched deep and on much further than Kei's room. What was there was old. Bookshelves…old globes…small models…ancient furniture that was comfortable enough but looked never used. There was a desk here for business, but even it lacked any computer or electronics. Instead, it had, of all things, a quill pen and a reading lamp, among other relics that looked like they belonged in a colonial office.

She also heard the sound here, and realized what it was. It was even stronger in this place. And now, closed in as she was, it seemed to fill the room and make it its domain. It felt like it penetrated into Kei while she stood there, wrapped around her, flowed through her…and made her one with the darkness of the room and the slow noise. It was music…slow and mournful, and yet beautiful and captivating. It reminded Kei of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata…in being so slow and simple and yet capable of enrapturing the senses and ensnaring the mind. But it was not that. It was something else…a kind of music she had never heard before. But it was haunting and slow, and continued to weave its spell over her as she listened to it. For a moment, she was indeed powerless to do anything but stand there. She forgot all about her anger or irritation and just listened to the music.

But at last, she managed to regain her senses, and turned to the source. She soon saw it. On a small raised platform, far against the back wall of the center of the room, was a piano. Not one of those upright ones either, but a full-fledged grand piano that stretched ten feet long. And seated in front of it, still draped in black and gazing coldly and calmly at the keys, was Darcia. He was the one playing the haunting melody. He had no sheet music though. A small candlebra was over him, illuminating the keys and his body but not much else. He took no notice of Kei, it seemed, but continued to slowly play.

Kei was still and silent. She didn't know what to do. She had been so ready to give Darcia a piece of her mind, but now it was hard to remember what she was supposed to do. The music, slow and sad as it was, was also indescribably beautiful. Kei didn't even know that she appreciated music. Then again…she had never the time to just sit down and listen to it. She had spent all her time busy and running around on missions. She never sat to rest anymore. But now that she was forced to have nothing to do but wait…this music enraptured her. It was so beautiful and mysterious… The woman nearly made a vow in her heart to go to the symphony when all this was over at least once a year. She almost didn't want to go forward. She felt so small and quiet again compared to Darcia. She felt as if she was watching some pristine act of nature…that if she went forward she would disturb it all and it would disappear and fade like a waking dream.

But then, she began to realize what she was thinking. And that irritated her. Why was she acting this way? So simple and doddering? She was acting like a regular airhead. What should she care about music or any of these idle pleasures? She shook it off at last, and began to walk forward. And yet, in spite of her renewed effort, she moved slowly and didn't raise any sound.

Because of this, it took her a while to reach the piano. Darcia never looked up, never stopped playing. His tempo didn't even change. It seemed as if he didn't even know she was there. She continued to draw nearer and nearer. Finally, however, she was right at the foot of the raised platform. There, she came to a stop. For some reason…she didn't want to go any further. His effect was still on her. She felt…unbelievable as it could be for someone like her…almost like a small child next to an adult. Darcia didn't react. He just kept playing. In the end, however, he finally spoke up.

"…Enjoying the melody?"

Kei opened her mouth, but caught herself. She couldn't speak. She almost said, "yes". That would have been the truth too. However, she didn't want to show any cooperation with this man. And so, she lied. "…It interrupted me when I was trying to read that map you gave me. I decided to see what was going on." Despite her words, her voice was soft as well, betraying her true feelings about it.

"…It is an old song." Darcia continued softly, still playing. "Far older than anything else about what you believe to be human civilization. I learned it when I was ten years old."

Kei paused in response to that. She swallowed a bit. "…And how old are you?"

Darcia never stopped playing, but slowly turned his head slightly to one side.

"…Older than _everything_."

Kei's eyebrows turned to puzzlement at that. However, she also felt uneasy. Her heart seemed to slow, and a cold feeling was in her stomach. Darcia paused for a moment longer in that position, but then turned his head back to the piano.

"Come. Sit."

Kei hesitated. Something was about this man. Here, it was even stronger, like an overpowering odor. She didn't want to get closer to him. She didn't want to do anything he said. She wanted to keep her distance and continue to be defiant to him. And yet…she felt herself compelled to move. Compelled to do what he said. Perhaps it wasn't just him. Perhaps it was because he intrigued her. Perhaps it was because she wanted to prove she wasn't scared of him. Yet at last, she pushed it off.

"…I prefer to stand."

"Suit yourself." Darcia simply responded, as he continued to play. He did so for a few moments longer. The room was silent save for the music. Kei swallowed a bit, and struggled not to tremble. At last, she managed to speak back to him.

"…What did you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said." Darcia calmly answered. "I am older than all mortals and all other living things. The ageless… The trees… The so-called immortals… I have lived in the time in which each of them gave their birth cry."

Kei hesitated a moment. In spite of herself…she took a step forward. "…How is that possible?"

"Your race…your people…your very civilization…has the selfishness to believe themselves to be the first of its kind on the world." Darcia calmly continued…but with a dark, loathing undertone, as he continued to play. The music took a downward turn, becoming more mysterious and potent. "But there was at least one before you…before the first of this current race left the wilds of savagery to begin the new civilizations in the river valleys. Thousands upon thousands of years ago…there was another civilization…one that bears a sickening resemblance to this one in many ways. It is from that world which I come. I…the sole relic of that previously forgotten race…doomed to walk this earth while the rest of my brethren ascend to that place that I might only dream of now…"

Kei, by now, had subconsciously moved to Darcia's bench. Here, she paused again. She looked down, and looked over his face. Despite the one eye…despite his dark look…she saw something else there for a brief moment. The music softened again, and as it did…Kei saw the flickers of a long-buried emotion on Darcia's face. She saw a pain in his one remaining eye and a turn to his mouth.

Sadness.

Kei had forgotten the map now. Instead, her face turned to concern. "You… You're sad?"

Darcia continued to play a moment longer, but then he inhaled sharply, and the sadness vanished. "…Occasionally." He calmly answered after a pause. "But I have put it away as best I could. After thousands of years…the sting is still great. But I do not indulge it. I can never forget…but I can move on. I must. It was because I failed to do so last time that I failed in the end…"

Kei didn't understand this. He was speaking in riddles. And yet…there was something else. That momentary emotion…that spark that made Darcia's face turn from cold…to human…attracted her. She felt herself rising up to it…and one of her own buried feelings was brought out by it. Suddenly, Kei's own face became sad. Her head turned down. She swallowed and licked her lips. She felt weak in the legs. However, there was nowhere else to go. In the end, she found herself sitting right down next to Darcia on the piano bench. It was large, and the two did not even touch. But she felt cold as she sat down next to him none the less.

"…You too have buried sadness?"

Kei hesitated a moment. She swallowed. Should she be telling this to him? Well…there was no way he could use it against her. It would only make her mad if she tried. Besides…it was probably public knowledge now. And so, she spat it out at last.

"…My…husband."

A pause. "…Yes?"

"…He's dead."

Another pause from Darcia. No consolation. No apologies. No well-wishes or anything else. Not even a glance up from the piano. It angered Kei a little…yet at the same time, she appreciated the honesty. Why should he care? This didn't concern him. It wasn't his friend…or family. But Kei felt a coldness within her. She felt her eyes begin to sting. She felt her throat tighten. And yet…Darcia's mannerisms made it look as if he was willing for her to continue, to tell her more.

"…He…was out shooting himself up one evening." She began. Abruptly, her tone turned angry. "I told him to stop doing that crap. I warned him about it day and night. I couldn't stand him when he did it. It made him stupid. It made him a jackass. It wasn't like he wasn't one already, but…" She trailed off for a moment, and then sighed. Anger wasn't going to get rid of the feeling. She bowed her head and paused a bit longer, then continued. "…We had a mission the next morning…but he stayed out too late getting doped up. He was even more of a damn souse the next day. He could barely stand on his own two feet. I should have told him to stay, but…" She paused again, and swallowed. Her breath trembled. A tear began to form in her eye. She bowed her head at last and shut her mouth. She could say no more.

"…He was an addict." Darcia finally stated, not accusing or questioning, just putting it down.

Kei kept her head bowed, listening to the music. In the end, however, she nodded.

"He had been a child of the street, had he not?"

Kei didn't like that kind of poetic way of putting it. However, anything else would have been insulting.

"And it poisoned him, didn't it?"

Kei sighed at long last. "I'm not going to make it sound as if he was some poor kid who some stranger gave special 'candy' to when he was six and that ruined his life. He was an orphan. He was a bully. He was a damn gang leader for years and he wasn't much better when he became a rebel. He did his share of terrorism and blowing people up after that, and all he did was drink a beer and snort a line of powder for it."

"But then again…so did you."

Kei turned and looked up to Darcia at that. The tone had been simple enough, not showing any emotion…and yet, Kei felt it cut her to the heart. It divided her flesh and spirit and went right into her soul. True, she never was a heavy drinker and she never touched drugs. But when Darcia put it so simply, in such a way that it was not offensive so that Kei could not push it back…it sank deep into her spirit. And when it did, she realized the same thing. In truth, Darcia was right. She had set her share of car bombs. She did her share of assassinations. And she had taken her share of mothers and children in doing so. Sometimes…more than her share. And yet she had merely laughed them off over a beer…and had dishonored their memory by focusing and celebrating her success.

…_I did what I had to do for the sake of the country._

Kei told herself that again as she always did, and left it at that. Yet somehow…in this dark room…that defense did not seem to hold up as well as it normally did. So she continued.

"…But he loved me just the same." She went on. "He risked his life for me. Despite all his faults…I still loved him."

"But of course." Darcia calmly continued. "That is the way of things. We overlook each others faults in the face of love, no matter how gross and perverse. It is only natural for humanity to do such things."

Kei, for a moment, jerked up and glared at Darcia. Her face began to turn to anger as she did so. However, Darcia calmly went on.

"I didn't say it was a weakness, Kei. I said it was merely a trait. It can be good when the opportunity presents itself. After all, love is what enables the hopeless to have a second chance at life and redemption. But do you doubt that it can also be for ill? That it can blind judgment? That we overestimate the value of people? That we give people more than what they are worth?"

Kei's face began to turn into a sneer. "You son of a-"

"Case in point," Darcia calmly cut off, silencing Kei and continuing. "I once had a love as well. I loved her very much. I was willing to give anything and everything for her, Kei. And I do mean _anything_. That included _anyone_. It didn't matter. She was an innocent person…fair…kind…and just. She was a beauty on a dying world. I would have done anything to save her. And yet…" He paused for a moment here, but then continued. "I spilled the blood of many for her. Many innocents. Men…women…children…and innocent creatures that had wanted nothing more than to live. One by one they all bled before me and my single-minded desire to save her. I loved her very much, Kei, and she was a very deserving person. I still remember that innocent look on her face when she lay there, helpless and sick in my halls. But do you think my little Sleeping Beauty was truly worth all the blood I spilled in an attempt to move the blood within her own heart? Was her life, pure and innocent though it may have been, worth cutting short that of so many others?"

Kei's anger faded. Her face softened. She took in these latest words of Darcia. In all honesty, she didn't know what this meant. But apparently she knew the source of the sadness now. As Darcia talked of death and murder, his voice grew cold and sinister. It seemed as if he was pouring out the darkness in his own heart. However, it was not emotionless this time. It was tinged with regret…sadness…as if he was posing the question not only to Kei but to himself. He actually showed melancholy and grieving for what he had done. Hearing this...and seeing the emotion on his face…Kei felt herself strangely staring at him again. He looked…more handsome…when he exposed himself like this. Despite all that he shared…she felt as if, as he said, this had been a misled gesture. That his truth was a deep inner pain, and not this anger and violence he described. As he tried to hide it, it came out more. His own face softened as he went on.

"Do not think me cold, Kei. I do understand what you were going through. I meant no insult. I meant only to show you that I understood. I did not want to praise your husband after you had described him in such a manner. If I had, you and I both know you would have seen me as false and trying to intrude on your good feelings. You and I both know full well that your husband was riddled with faults. It is a credit to you, not a mistake, that you were able to look past these to the real man beneath. It was a good thing that you valued him so. But such was not true of I.

"I failed to see that she truly wanted me to be at peace. I saw only the potential for a future full of life together with her. I was reaching for a great and immortal thing, but I saw it only through the shade of a mortal, perishing thing. I suffered for that. A jealous woman came and sought to ruin my happiness. She envied her sister…my love. She felt that if she couldn't have me, then at the very least she would not let _her_ have me. She made the world feel the pain of her greed and jealousy, and my love was a victim in that game. And when I saw what had happened, I broke.

"The one I had valued and esteemed far above all other things was gone. And I was so fixed on the ways of men and my own temporal existence that I allowed a part of myself to die there. It was then that I changed into a true monster. It was then that I washed the trickle of blood I had spilt away with a fountain. It was then that I let the world feel my wrath, and one by one I knocked down all others in my path of bloody revenge. And once my vengeance was complete, I found that my soul was still torn, ravaged, and empty.

"And so I sought to cure it. I thought I could cure my own impure flesh with a taste of the same paradise that I had once craved along with my love. It was a fool's errand. I craved it as foolishly as a man seeks to rip a flower from its native stem, destroying its natural beauty so that he may hoard and greedily keep it all to himself for a precious few days until it dies and is free to no one. And as before, I found lives to crush in my way. Without pity…without mercy…I crushed the life out of those who bore me no ill. They only wanted to live. They only wanted to find their own happiness. But I would not be satisfied until I made them suffer as I had. In the end, deep in my own black heart, I did not care for the world or those in it. I craved paradise all for myself. The rest could suffer in the same hell that I had endured.

"It was that selfish desire that damned me in the old world; that forced me to live with my pain for longer. Just as the true unrighteous, conceited, and perverse burn in the holy flames of God…just as the first man and woman would have been burned by the fiery revolving sword…my sinful flesh burned in the flames of paradise's sacredness. And back in the rebirth of the world I was sentenced…my spirit chained here but unable to move or do anything but ponder what I had done, to let the blackness of my own heart sink in to my mind, to remind me of what I had become and to realize why I was as loathsome to paradise as rotten milk to the nostrils."

Darcia finally went silent after that, continuing to play. Kei was speechless. She still felt the coldness radiating off the man…but now, she no longer was affected by it so much. She realized that he had just revealed a surprising amount about himself. And as he did, he had lowered the façade of coldness and darkness. Seeing more of him underneath…Kei found herself enamoured with his true side, and constantly staring at him. Finally, at last, she spoke again.

"…How…how have you lived this long?"

Darcia paused a moment, but then continued. "When my body was destroyed, my spirit was trapped inside a flower and remained there, along with the last of my blood. For thousands upon thousands of years, it has continued to remain as the flower went to seed, shed its fruit, regrew, and then bloomed again. And my spirit within it. I was not able to retake physical form, however…until recently."

Kei looked at him in puzzlement for a moment longer. But after a few seconds, she understood. "You…you're a clone as well, aren't you?"

"…Yes." Darcia answered after a pause. "But unlike the other clones, my spirit and personality have remained for thousands of years. When my body was copied, I merely reentered it and once again commanded my flesh. For almost all intensive purposes, this body is just like my original."

Kei paused again. "…What…differences?"

"It's getting late." Darcia simply answered, not responding to her question. "You should go to bed. You haven't slept in two days."

Kei wasn't all that satisfied with that response. She frowned for a moment, but then looked down to a wristwatch that Darcia had provided her. She was shocked at what she saw. Since she entered the room, _four hours had passed._ It was past midnight. That was impossible. Unless…had she been that enamoured with the song? Had Darcia's tale gone on for that long, or had he spoken that slowly? No…it had to be the music. She had stood and listened to the music. She thought she had snapped out of it…but she must have been unable to. She had to have been listening to the melody for hours. What she thought was a short pause…was like slipping into a trance.

However, as Darcia informed her, Kei felt strange. Abruptly, she _did_ feel sleepy. Her eyelids began to grow heavy, and her movements became mechanical and slow. What was going on? She hadn't been tired a moment ago…but suddenly she wanted to go to bed. Was he doing something to her? Was he putting a spell on her or hypnotizing her? She didn't know…and to her surprise, she didn't care. She only wanted to do what he said. And so, she gave a nod, and then turned and began to rise from the bench.

"You'll be moving to Neo Milan soon." Darcia informed her. "I'm making the arrangements. From there, you can plan your escape better."

Kei gave a nod to this. However, as her senses grew sluggish, she realized that she barely cared about escaping at this point. When she thought about it, it came to her in a snap. The idea of leaving was like, "Huh…oh yeah… I've got leave and whatever…" It was strange. She struggled to shake her head free of these thoughts, but for now she could only think about lying down and going to sleep. And so, she made her way back to the door. It opened easily for her this time, and she walked in soon after. Not even bothering to take her clothes off, Kei walked over to the bed, no longer caring for its feel or appearance. She fell down on top of it, and almost immediately dropped off.

Darcia's haunting piano continued to serenade and soothe her all night long.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	5. The Seashore of Neo Milan

Chapter Five

_May 9, 2017 – Beijing, China_

* * *

_Great…nothing here either._

Kohaku frowned as he finished looking through the last warehouse. Using a simple spell, he was able to do so without having to break into the facility, as the others had to, and while maintaining a spell of invisibility around himself. All around him, iron foundry workers went to and fro around the facility, rushing to their jobs of smelting or loading or repair. But none of them paid him any mind. They never noticed the big white ribbon waft into the facility that morning. They never saw it shrink and take the form of a small boy, who soon vanished into nothingness. And they had been too busy with their work to stop Kohaku from making his investigation for the rest of the day.

Kohaku wasn't all that comfortable around them, even when he was invisible. The world of humans unnerved him. They had strange ways of doing things without magic, and instead relied on their vastly advanced technology. He understood so little about their science and their mannerisms. Because of this, he was a little uneasy of being out here. He realized that his own ignorance could make him miss something vital while he was out searching for clues. Yet at the same time, that was one reason why he had gone off on his own. Having both years of wisdom as well as a knack for spotting unusual things (that were otherwise normal to humans) made him good to try and see anything suspicious. However, he had seen nothing. After adjusting to the normal human work schedules, he found little to nothing to report here. There were no signs of any soldiers or plots going on here.

Kohaku paused for a moment, but then turned and walked through the crowds of people, being careful not to touch them, and move back to one of the alleys. Soon, he turned into a dark one, which was filled with trash, refuse, scrap, and sheet metal. It was also a good place to hide. Though he hated being dirty when he could avoid it, he walked into the trash areas and further into the scrap, so that his body was soon moving behind large pieces of it. Once he was in the back, however, he sad down and sighed. Immediately, his spell was broken and he became visible. But he didn't care. He merely sat and thought.

What was he doing here? Why was he running around with these crazy humans again? Sure, he still owed them. That was clear enough. And yet, he didn't know why he had bothered to come. This was a job for more suited people or more closer friends. In truth, he barely knew them. He didn't talk to them. If things were a bit different…if he still had Chihiro…perhaps it would have caused him to remain. But now, he stayed.

Kohaku sighed again and bowed his head. He had heard it countless times in the past, he grimly realized. All of the spirits warned it. "Lord Haku, don't trust those humans." "Never make friends with a human, Lord Haku." "Stay away from humans!" That was the same old tirade. In addition to smelling perpetually funky and being slovenly creatures, there was one more thing that made human friendship undesirable to a spirit. That was that humans were doomed to die. Spirits, if they took care of themselves, could be immortal. That didn't make for good lifelong partners. It was even worse on any children. Kohaku didn't even know Inuyasha, but he knew he had to have had a hard life. With one parent a mortal human in a world of "monster-fearing citizens", and the other in a world of uppity, environmental, vengeful creatures that saw an "inferior" race slowly killing the world that sustained them, they were left hopelessly in the middle.

However, the spirit creatures such as himself still had a hard time, especially in the modern day. In old times, people continued to believe in them, and eventually began to actively hunt and destroy them. Now, he had passed into legend, he and the rest of his race. Now they were the stuff of daydreams and games for humans. Few humans believed he existed any more. And as they got older…it almost seemed like they forgot about them more and more, and were less able to see them and interact as time went on. It was almost like some sort of Peter Pan fairy tale. Once you grew up, you could never go back. Oh sure, the occasional adult would wander by. But it was only the children that truly sought to interact with them. And that was the worst that Kohaku had feared…that one day Chihiro would move on past him…assuming she hadn't already. He began to suspect that the moment they left, that she was becoming her own woman and that she didn't need people like him around anymore. She was alright on her own. And now…what was he? He was just another fairy tale from when she was a child…

And so, where did that leave Kohaku? Perhaps, he began to think, that was why he had come here. He wanted to be with people who wouldn't forget him…

At last, the white dragon decided enough had been enough. He rose up from where he lay, and looked up to the sky. He focused for a few moments, and then abruptly he morphed. His body twisted and became longer. His clothing fell away. His hair turned green and spread across the back of his neck, and his body became covered with white feathers. His face twisted and became monstrous. Soon, he was no longer a boy, but a full-fledged white dragon. He coiled against the ground for a moment, but then sprung up and shot into the sky. Moments later, his long reptilian form swished against it and into the air. He cared little if anyone below saw him. They'd think it was nothing, anyway. Just another optical illusion…

In moments, Kohaku was sailing far above the earth. He turned his course, and soon began to leave the great iron foundry behind. It was getting late now in this part of the world. The sun was setting, and the sky was cloudy, so that the world had turned gray. He continued to shoot through the sky, and flew for about thirty solid minutes. He kept his eye on his goal the whole time. He ignored the rest of the world below, for all that was beneath him was more human settlements. They didn't interest him that much. Cluttering…noisy…dirty…foul little things… It was like running over a countryside of bath houses, and he'd rather _not_ remember how many countless years he spent there. Now he had another memory too. The last he had interacted so closely with humans, he had been reduced to their servitude as well. And what was he doing now? Once again serving others. It was almost a joke. Perhaps that was all he was good at…

But at last, he sensed his journey was almost at an end. Up ahead, the ship loomed. Well, it didn't to the naked eye. All anyone saw was a bit of sky, and perhaps a slight distortion. But Kohaku sensed not only the people inside it, but the ship itself. It was like the ship itself was alive…and he'd be darned if he didn't swear he heard it _meow_ to him once or twice. At any rate, he went straight for it. The moment that he reached it, a small hole opened in reality for him…an entranceway. Kohaku went right into that entrance readily, and soon the dim evening vanished into the darkness of the interior of Washu's ship. He soon touched down on the ground, and the hatch closed behind him readily.

Kohaku focused a moment, and soon his transformation reversed. He shrank back down, his face compressed, his feathers flew off and vanished in a gust of wind, and he grew much younger. Soon, he was a normal boy again. His clothes had even returned. That done, he walked forward deeper into the ship. He passed through a few corridors for a moment, his feet clicking and echoing in the silent ship. But after a few moments, he began to see his friends ahead in the darkness. They were looking at him, and from the looks of it, it seemed that all six were there. The others had to have returned as well. He marched straight for them, and soon had reached and rejoined them. They all turned and looked to the spirit, wanting to know the latest news.

However, Kohaku had none to give. He shook his head slightly. "Sorry, nothing."

* * *

Some of the members sighed, but all began to look tired. It had been four days since the attack now, and they still didn't have any information. None of the targets on the list had checked out. There were no signs of that army or tank anywhere. They had almost gotten through the list at this point, and still they hadn't a single lead.

Inuyasha growled and crossed his arms. He was getting tired of sniffing so many different places, having to wear so many human disguises, but most of all of being stuck in the time period. His patience was wearing out. "This is stupid! We're wasting our time on this wild goose chase!" He wheeled around to Yomiko. "Are you sure you read that damn thing right?"

Yomiko, a bit taken aback by Inuyasha's crossness, nevertheless nodded. "Sure I'm sure. I've been reading Da Vinci's writing since I was ten."

Lupin frowned and scratched his head. "You don't suppose they just gave us a bogus list to run around looking for these things while they plan something else?"

"Well, as near as I can figure, if they want to expand they'll still need these things." Washu responded. "This is a good shopping list. So I don't think it was a distraction. After all, they haven't struck anywhere else yet. There may be some clue that we're overlooking. Perhaps all of these things have something in common."

"…There is one thing in common…" D began to voice, leaning back and still cold and calm as always. It caused the others to be silent and turn to him. "If materials were the only concern of this enemy, he would only have to strike one major metropolitan area. In fact, he almost would needed to have done so. Only in a place like that would there be sufficient materials of every quality in a one stop area. It might not be enough to build a huge army, but it would be enough to build a force large enough to take another area, and in doing these steps would eventually make them large enough to take a country. However, notice these materials. They all are rich caches that are scattered throughout the globe. Iron from the best iron producers…chemicals from the best chemical manufacturers…circuits from the best technical labs… He wants to get these all at once, but I feel he lacks the means."

There was a moment of silence in the chamber. The others looked to each other and thought this over. In the end, Lupin frowned and shrugged. "Ok, so this guy has fancy tastes. That still doesn't help us all that much."

Yomiko frowned a bit and scratched her own head. "Maybe we shouldn't focus so much on these. Maybe we should try looking back at that one book they stole."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and growled. "Oh, will you stop going on about that book! That's all you've been complaining about for three days!"

"Actually…I think the girl is right."

Again, the others had their attention diverted, and looked to the one who spoke. Alucard was also leaning against a wall, arms crossed, and cold and calm as always. He pushed his yellow glasses up a bit and spoke.

"We've all be so busy thinking about this that we're missing the larger picture. We aren't considering the details about all this. Think about it. The list that we received is, for all purposes, unimportant. Not only are those books in copies in most large libraries in the world, you wouldn't have to break into a city to get them. You could simply check them out. The main target was the book they stole. That was their only interest. But even that didn't require this show of force. A so-called 'sophisticated' thief like that fool over there," Here, he gestured to Lupin, who began to pout instantly. "Would have been able to do it without alerting the armies of the world and forcing them to make a secretive escape. If they really wanted to break in and take it, a van of thieves could have done it.

"But no, they didn't. They mounted a virtual assault on the city, and killed everyone they could around them. They demonstrated gigantic weapons, ruthless troops, and unstoppable military might. By now, the agents of the world must be realizing what we found out, that these troops are clones. Coupled with the new technology, I do not think that they are lamenting the loss of a bunch of withered paper or searching storehouses as we are. Rather…they are intrigued in what actually happened. Their concern is another 'terrorist' act. Their concern is how the enemy came about these weapons."

D heard all of this, and slowly turned his head over to Alucard as he spoke. When he did, he almost wanted to strike himself again. Of course. Vampires and dhampires, thanks to their long life, had above average wisdom and intellect. Given enough time, D probably would have thought of this as well. However, Alucard's presence unsettled him. It made his senses stiff and caused them to cheat him. But now, he began to see what the vampire saw as well.

Inuyasha frowned again and merely grunted. "Well, that's all great. But what exactly does it have to do with us?"

"It tells us little of how to find them." Alucard calmly answered. "But it gives us a great clue as to their intentions. Indeed, they came to this place to steal this book, and this particular book. For what, I still don't know. But I know now why they attacked in the way they did. This wasn't just a theft…it was a demonstration. It was showing off new military might and the power of cloned troops. It was a message to the world for them to look at the mighty works of our adversary and despair."

The group hesitated again at that. However, they realized that Alucard was right. Why else would they have gone to such lengths to steal a book? They might have been worried about Yomiko's organization, but it would have been easier to sidestep them than blast through them. And they had engaged in such wanton destruction as well. Of course…they had worried for so long about getting clues and evidence that they didn't see the obviousness of it all. They had been missing the big picture. However, if what the vampire said was true, there were still concerns and questions.

Kohaku frowned and spoke up. "But still, that leaves some things I'm worried about. You all said they still didn't have the military might for a large struggle. If this was a demonstration, all it served to do was to give their own enemies time to prepare. That's what the world had been doing for five days. In the meantime, what do they have to gain by waiting? This tank that you mentioned sounds fearsome, but surely it isn't enough to intimidate a country on this world to surrender."

"No…" D mused aloud, once again calling attention to him. "Which brings me back to the question of the book. Whatever the next move is, and whatever the delay is between it and that move, has to do with the book. Why would they need the book at all?"

The group went silent again. They turned and looked to each other, and thought over this latest facet for a moment. But even Alucard hesitated and did not have an immediate answer. A few moments went by. In the end, Yomiko shrugged and offered a suggestion. "Well…it was the complement to Da Vinci's books on anatomy."

Lupin merely frowned in response. "Still doesn't say what that has to do with giant war machines or cloning lots of soldiers."

Inuyasha snorted and looked to the ground. "I don't know." He griped. "Maybe if you're going to build a human, you want to know how."

The comment, simple and non-serious, nevertheless caused D and Alucard alike to rise. Washu did as well soon after, as did Lupin and Yomiko. At once, it made sense. It did fit in with the theme of what was going on. Perhaps these events were much more closely linked than they all thought. Perhaps this was just a continuation of what they had already seen. It made sense, and as time went on it began to make more sense to the others. Immediately, Lupin voiced the realization.

"That's it! I got it now! This guy has an obsession with Leonardo Da Vinci! He's trying to make himself clones, and he wants them to look just like Da Vinci's old anatomy books!"

Kohaku turned to Lupin in puzzlement. "So he needs the book to give them brains?" He asked in confusion. "But…they were already up and moving around. They had to already have brains."

"Ah, but you're forgetting something, my little feathered friend!" Washu suddenly called. The others turned and looked to Washu, who once again had her playful and innocent expression. She didn't turn into a professor this time, but she did once again reach up and put her hand into a pocket of reality. Moments later, she dragged down a chart to hover in mid-air. The chart that was on it was none other than Da Vinci's rendition of man, showing how he fit into a perfect circle.

"Da Vinci may have been a scientist, but he was also an artist. And if there's one thing artists are interested in at that time period, it's in creating the ideal human. Da Vinci's anatomy may have been skewed to reflect what he thought was the ideal physical form. And if what was said about this book was right, he had some ideas of what an ideal brain would be like. If he combined this with his body sketches, he'd be able to have a blueprint for a man both physically and mentally perfect."

Lupin frowned at this and looked troubled. "Oh, that's just silly." He stated. "I mean, come on. Da Vinci is from hundreds of years ago. He probably knew less about ideal bodies than me." He paused a moment, and then grinned slyly. "And I have had my share of guinea pigs…"

Yomiko, however, came in to protest. "Actually, Da Vinci's sketches are renown for being incredibly accurate. They said the only real body part he messed up on was the womb, because he studied a non-human species. Well, that all doesn't really apply to a man though, does it?"

"What more, ethical standards for research did not apply in Da Vinci's time." D also added. "There is a chance that he might have discovered some truth, or at least theorized it, that would be impossible to discover in modern times."

Alucard cracked a small grin, and looked to the ground. "So that's why he wanted the book. He wanted to try and perfect his little flawed race…"

Kohaku still looked unsettled. "That still doesn't explain why he hasn't made another move."

"Oh, I think I might answer that!" Washu chirped. The others rotated to her again. As they did, she let the chart go, letting it flap back up into nothingness and invisibly rattle and roll for a moment before the tear vanished. Meanwhile, she sat herself down on an invisible chair and held her hands over an imaginary keyboard. Moments later, a keyboard did materialize in mid-air, along with a screen that appeared to merely fade on in front of her. She soon began to furiously type, and explained what she was doing.

"When I was researching the DNA of those bodies, I kind of exaggerated. They weren't _exactly_ the matches of the famous historical figures. They had been modified. That's only natural. You can't very well wait twenty or thirty years for your clones to grow up if you want an army today, now can you? They had insertions in their DNA to help them to metabolize and mature faster. How much faster, I haven't exactly calculated yet. I'm running a computer model right now to find out. However, it's reasonable to assume that if he finally had his formula for the perfect clones, he'd want to make a new batch of them, not like the ones we ran into earlier this week. So if he was going to make another attack, he'd take time out to make these clones first." She paused. "Now let's see here…uh huh…" She typed a bit longer, and then suddenly leaned back and pressed one key. "Got it."

"What?" Yomiko asked, as she and the others, save Alucard, leaned in a bit more to the keyboard.

"An estimation." Washu responded. "Assuming that they were able to start only about a few hours after they got the book, and that they used the same type of accelerated growth genes that were in this batch of clones, and assuming they found some way to download all the knowledge they would need during the incubation time…the clones will be ready in three days…maybe two."

Lupin groaned. "That doesn't give us a whole lot of time."

"…Especially since we've wasted so much already." Alucard coldly added, but kept the smile on his dark face. "We still don't know where to look for them. And though we may know why they're taking so long, we don't know where or even what exactly the next move will be."

"…Actually, that's not entirely true."

The group turned again, and this time found themselves looking to D. He was still stoic like Alucard, but now he was standing and appeared to have an answer.

"We already know the reason for this attack: a demonstration. This person wanted to show the power of his army to the world. But it failed to accomplish that goal. To really demonstrate power, he must contend against a force that can fight back. He must actually engage an army. And for the past few days, that's all that has been happening. The various nations of the world have brought their full military might to bear to guard their capitols. Now, the army has a true test to strike against. And I assume he will."

"Are you so sure?" Alucard asked, challenging the dhampire almost immediately.

"Actually, I think I'm with the big guy." Lupin chimed in, before D could turn to Alucard or defend himself in any way. "It does make sense. What better way to get published than to attack a major capitol? That'd be a way to show the world how easy you could take out a seat of government. And it'd probably be a big country too, showing them they weren't afraid of it. Plus, once it was knocked out, there'd be chaos on the world's market and economy, not to mention diplomatic ties. Enemies would probably jump on it like flies on roadkill. When it would go down, it would drag a large part of the world with it, and it'd make plenty of chaos."

Yomiko gulped and recoiled a bit. "That's awful…!"

Alucard merely cracked a smile at Lupin. "What do you know? The thief does have a few working brain cells…"

Inuyasha frowned. "Still, it doesn't look to me like the world would just give up just because of _that_. They may be a little scared, but isn't that more likely to just make them go after them more fiercely?"

"…So it would seem…" D slowly remarked. That was a good point, and it caused him a bit of intrigue…

"Ah, who cares about that?" Lupin cut off, breaking in to the chain of thought and severing it. "The important thing is, we've got an idea of where they're going to attack next."

"That still leaves the small important detail of where." Alucard calmly added. "In terms of governments, Moscow, Washington D.C., London, Tokyo, or Beijing all are good shots. Unfortunately, they're scattered around the world."

"That _is_ a problem." Washu responded with a nod. "Ryo-Ohki can only go so fast in this atmosphere without causing some disastrous effects on the world below. If they attacked one target and we were on the opposite side of the planet, it would still take a good four hours to get there."

"After the last attack…" D calmly responded. "I doubt it would take more than an hour to carry out an operation. Maybe not even thirty minutes."

"What about that method you've been using to go large distances?" Kohaku suggested. "That…teleportation machine?"

Washu grimly frowned and gave a head shake. "No good. It would take a massive amount of energy to be able to move Ryo-Ohki through one of those. She's already rippling with too much power."

Alucard merely snorted. "We don't need to move this thing through one, you red-headed fool." He bit at Washu. "We only need to move ourselves."

Washu turned to this for a moment, and blinked. But then, she grinned. "Hey, that's right!" She announced. Apparently, geniuses could still be very scatterbrained and absent minded. She seemed to roll off Alucard's insult without so much as batting an eyebrow, and she turned back to her screen and began to type once again. "It won't be too hard. Sure, there will have to be higher power relays to be able to transport us, but the natural power of this planet can sustain them. What we'll have to do is set up a relay at each spot, and that will channel enough power and signal back to here that we can teleport in and take care of whatever the problem is. Of course…that means we'll actually have to go out to each of these spots and put a relay down…"

"That won't be a problem." Kohaku readily said, already rising up. "We can split up to move faster if we need to."

"Let's just set them up before that terrible thing comes back." Yomiko put in.

The rest of the members gathered together as well. They seemed to all be in on this. Even Alucard leaned up and began to walk over to Washu. The scientist looked up at this all and surveyed the group, and gave a nod and a smile.

"Ok then!" She chimed. "I'll get busy."

* * *

_May 10, 2017_

_

* * *

_

"We're nearly there."

Kei turned to that, hearing Darcia's cold voice for the first time since this trip began. She momentarily turned her head away from the tunnel that was shooting rapidly past them both. Apparently, this was the tunnel into Neo Milan. It was connected to the main factory that Kei had seen earlier through this. It worked like one of those escalator walkways in airports, only much faster. Right now, it was only transporting the two them. In front and behind them, there was nothing but an endless metal tunnel leading miles in either direction. It already seemed as if Kei had been traveling for miles while here too.

At last, Kei decided to venture something. "…What is…Neo Milan…anyway?"

"It will be easier to describe when we get there." Darcia calmly answered, and said no more.

Kei frowned and turned back ahead. As she did, she noticed something. There was a bright light at last at the end of the tunnel. That was some good news. She couldn't stand being cramped in that dark factory another hour. And this light almost looked like sunlight. But they were still underground, weren't they? She knew they hadn't gone up any. And three miles didn't go past that quickly. However, she continued to wait. As she did, the walkway began to slow down. It was still moving quite fast, but it decelerated slow enough so that it didn't throw the two passengers around. Kei still had to balance herself, while Darcia didn't react. Slower and slower it went, as they traveled nearer and nearer.

When the walkway approached the normal escalator speed, Kei saw that the light was almost on top of them. As they continued to near, they began to see outside of the lip of the tunnel. That sent a glare of what had to be sunlight right into Kei's face. Wincing, and confused as to how this was happening, Kei covered her eyes with her hand. Soon, the sunlight spilled over both of them as they exited the tunnel. As it did, Kei began to smell fresh, clean air, the scents of outdoors, the sea, flowers, and everything else. She was free of the factory smell and the artificial smell of being in metal room. Now, she was out in the open again, free once more in the daylight. Kei held a bit longer, but was finally able to put her arm down. When she did, she found herself amazed yet again.

It was as if that tunnel had sent the two of them back in time. Suddenly, they were in the Italian Renaissance. The citizens that she saw walking around, talking normally, were dressed like lords, ladies, and peasants of that time period. There were open markets outside, and cobblestone paths between stone houses. Everything about it was old, made of wood or stone. On either side of her, there seemed to be gardens leading into forest that surrounded the road. The road itself led into the main city, which was wide and expansive, but also seemed to be full of what was normally present for that day and age. Carts were rolling by, apothecaries were out trying to peddle in Italian, children were running around in shabby loose clothing, and guards hefted clubs, bills, and partisans as they watched over the citizens. The smell was even older, and the sun seemed cooler and not nearly as burning as in modern days with more radiation. There wasn't a speck of technology anywhere. Everything had gone back in time, leaving only the simple, tranquil setting of an Italian city centuries ago (provided it wasn't in war, of course, which this city certainly was not).

Kei was absolutely stunned. She looked down at herself, still wearing her modern clothing, and she felt so out of place. She turned around and looked at where they had come. Apparently, there was a stone wall that was built right into one of the hills on the outskirts of this city. In that wall was the great circular tunnel they had come out of, and had come to a stop right here. It was a strange blending of worlds. It was as if that was a tear in the past that led to the future technology. But no one cared about it. No one even cared for their arrival. An old man merely gave them a nod. A few children chased a dog close by to them, and then paused and looked at them. One of the boys laughed and waved at Kei. The agent was stunned. It was like she was looking at ghosts or into a book. Yet in spite of herself…she nervously waved back.

"This…this is…"

"This is Neo Milan, much how the real Milan looked like five hundred years ago." Darcia spoke calmly. "It has many advancements, however, that are somewhat subtle. In actuality, this city matches Da Vinci's blueprints for the ideal city." He paused a moment, but then began to walk forward. His foot stepped off of the metal conveyor and clicked gently on the cobblestone. Kei, mystified at the place, nevertheless stepped forward a moment later and followed him.

"It has some changes." Darcia continued. "The master likes several other items of refinement. There is a symphony and opera house, as well as a theater. There is also an art gallery. Many of the people here are philosophers and artists themselves. That was how they were made. The master peopled this metropolis with clones that carried the genes for artistry, innovation, and creativity. They devote most of their time and energy to the…'finer things'…when they aren't carrying out their daily business. As you can see, many of them are enhanced copies of citizens from Florence and Milan in the old time period."

Kei continued to blink, and looked over them all. She was still stunned. "Are they…I mean…do they know…?"

"Being a clone is a meaningless term to them, as there are no natural born citizens yet." Darcia calmly explained. "Many of them had their DNA blended and then engineered at slower growth to make the children that you see. Their food and water has been chemically treated to inactivate the genes that allow for faster growth, so that their offspring will grow normally.

"As for their status in the 'real world'…do not think them that simple. They have been mentally conditioned to prefer this type of existence above all others. Indeed, they are unaware of any other way to live. But do not be fooled. Many of the clones that you see are those of history's greatest minds. They are aware of many more advances in technology, although in this small paradise they receive no incentive whatsoever to use them. Instead, they continue to develop and invent. It was in this way that the master managed to adapt Da Vinci's designs with improvements. A new line of war machines is already being built. You are in a society of content geniuses that will spawn more content geniuses, whose only ambition is to create a more refined and advanced life."

Despite the language that Darcia used, Kei had her doubts that he really subscribed to this. He addressed it all in a halfway mocking voice…as if he thought the idea to be silly or ridiculous. He had no appraisal or good tone for this. It seemed as if he didn't believe in it anymore than Kei did. At any rate, he continued.

"This is a test community, for now. Once the master has his land, he will set about building a new country with not only factories and weapons of war, but communities like these. Great think tanks designed to enhance the world's knowledge and provide him with more power over science and technology. Until now, he's been relying on clones of already great minds. But now, he will be able to raise new clones that are each geniuses without having to use another as a template."

Kei paused a moment at all this. But then, she turned to Darcia. "This is what your leader is planning, isn't it? To make the whole world like Neo Milan? This is how he plans to rebuild society, am I right?"

Darcia didn't need to answer. He calmly walked on. Kei, however, knew already what the answer was. She frowned a bit, and turned away from him once again. She burned with a bit of returning anger. However, as she did, she couldn't help but feel pleasant and warm. It was good to be back outside… But was she really outside? Was she really that far from the factory? This all seemed odd. Had Darcia lied to her? There was no place this warm near Antarctica. Perhaps the facility hadn't been there, and he had just lied to her… At last, she spoke up again.

"I don't get it…aren't we supposed to be underground?"

"We _are_ underground." Darcia, to Kei's surprise, responded. "We are still three miles underground. A large quantity of technology is devoted to keeping this place frozen in 1500 Italy. Up above our heads is a massive dome structure that reaches as high as the Sears Tower. Through a series of mirrors and reflective plates, the sun's rays are transmitted down here and reflected through a great source that creates an artificial sun. It only works for so long, but it charges the batteries so that there can be an artificial sunrise and sunset each day. Lights create the stars overhead. The air is controlled by massive pumping mechanisms that run on a random program, randomly generating breezes and fluctuating humidity levels. Of course, the program changes via the programmed days and nights here, making sure that temperature drops slightly at night and rises for morning. The air is filtered to remove temperature chemicals and mixed in with salt water to create ocean breezes. Garden filters of flowers and trees help give a more natural scent. The surroundings gardens here only go for a short while before you run into a great stone wall that surrounds the city, which also serves as the barrier to the dome. The whole area is populated with the natural flora and fauna of the area, including the small artificial sea. This is the most accurate simulation of outdoor life known to man."

Kei blinked in astonishment. She had thought she truly was outside, but she was still underground? This was amazing. It was a stark contrast to the facility. Here, they were actually in a piece of 1500 buried and contained underground. Kei marveled at it for a while. But then…Darcia did something strange.

He snorted in disgust.

"Pathetic." He spat at the area around him. "Look at it…this zoo…this aquarium…this biosphere…whatever you call it. The fact that I know it's not real makes me despise the mere sight of it. Look at all this. Think about it. It takes all of humanity their greatest minds and greatest technology…simply to create a world that lacks the pollution and machines of the modern day. To create some phony notion of paradise and peace and utopia. And that wasn't enough. It has to be protected…tended…monitored…fed like a helpless puppy. It is nothing more than humanity in an earlier state, and yet this race is so perverse and unnatural that it takes them all their effort just to maintain this small sphere of simplicity. Have we come so far? Have we grown so twisted and deformed from a simple way of life? Even the clones here have to have subconscious messages flooding their brains while they sleep, putting down any thoughts of leaving or advancement, to keep them here. Even they don't subscribe to it, and it's all that they ever knew. This is a joke. It's an illusion. No one here even accepts this artificial paradise. None of them even want it. Tell me, is this a true utopia? Is this the goal of every person?"

Kei was stunned. She didn't expect that sort of reaction from Darcia. In truth, she had actually been a bit happy until now. She thought this place was nice, and that she hadn't been in outdoors in quite some time. But now that Darcia put it this way, it was just an illusion. And she never realized that even this simple way of life ironically took a massive amount of modern technology to achieve. She hadn't thought about it until Darcia put it this way. But what more…she sensed more emotion underneath him. She sensed his animosity…his anger against the society that had made this and what it represented. It unsettled Kei a bit…

At any rate, it passed soon, and Darcia spoke again. "…Let us find your new room."

* * *

Kei soon learned something important about old cities. Without transportation, it took some time to get through them. And when everyone had to walk, it got very busy. She had no sooner descended into the main city than she found herself swamped with busy crowds. People, villagers, and children rushed everywhere. They had to wander through several vendors and markets, and soon she was swamped and struggling to push her way through. She didn't like that many tried to sell her something. It felt strange…as if these people were blissfully unaware that they were an obsolete illusion that was trying to continue if nothing happened. And if she subscribed, she'd become a part of that illusion as well. She reacted with a recoil each time a child brushed her or a person accidentally touched her, making her feel as if she had just touched a ghost or spirit or dream. As they continued to make their way through, down the road and to the "seashore", Darcia talked to her further at length.

"Your powers should be recovered by now. You can begin planning your escape. In two days, we will make our attack. Then might be a good time to slip out. For now, the tunnels where the light is reflected should be a good bet to get out, provided you do so during the night. Getting transportation once you hit the surface will be a problem still, but I should have little difficulty getting you whatever else you may need. As for the town itself, you should be safe to move and interact on the main streets as if you were a regular citizen. Just watch it when you get close to the exits or boundaries. They do monitor the people there a little. The seashore is free as well, but don't think of sailing out of here. On the other side, the border is again guarded."

In all honesty…Kei found herself forgetting again that she was supposed to be finding a way out of here. With all the time to rest and not be concerned about anything else, she was actually beginning to truly relax and think about herself.

Nevertheless, a few hours passed before Darcia led her near the seashore. Here, there was a suspended platform made of stone next to the sea, extending the shore out over it. It went all the way to the edge, where there was a ten foot drop into the water itself. People were fishing and walking alongside it, and sea birds were flapping around and cawing at everyone. This was bordered by a road. On the other side, there were a row of buildings. Each one was a good two or three stories tall, and provided an excellent view of the ocean. They had balconies and awnings as well on many of them. Kei found herself led right to one of the buildings.

On entering, there was a small, semi-outdoor stairway that led upstairs. Apparently, there were two different dwellings in the one building. The bottom was taken, and Kei was led up to the second story. Once there, Darcia led her to a wooden door, and stood to one side. He turned to her as she approached, and then leaned over to open the door for her. "This is your room." He stated, and readily opened it.

Kei inhaled a bit as she stepped into the new room. It was rather lovely, like one of those resort or vacation homes. The front room was wide and spacious, stretching deep into the main building. There were a few rooms on the sides, which housed the toilet, the kitchen, the dining room, and the bedroom. However, this main room of the chateau was what attracted her the most. It was huge and spacious, easily able to accommodate many people. There were some furnishings that looked much more comfortable and practical, such as couches and chairs, for Kei to sit on. There was a large rug spread across the ground in the middle. The floor itself lifted up a bit around the center, forming a small dip for people to gather in. On the extremities, there were models, a set of a chess game, bookcases, and instruments. Luckily, Kei realized, the books were all in English, and despite old covers seemed to be modern novels, because she couldn't play with anyone or do any instruments. In the bag, there loomed a large window that provided a wide view of the ocean, taking in all its sounds. To Kei's surprise, the technology even provided waves and room for fishing ships. Even a projection of clouds rising over the horizon was there. It really did look like the ocean.

"Does it ever rain here?" Kei asked.

"The machines are programmed to proceed like any normal year." Darcia explained. "This is a Mediterranean climate, so it will have its wet season. The computer randomizes amounts of rain to provide a mean of a certain number of inches every ten years.

"Now then, this is your chateau. Feel free to do whatever you like here. You may sightsee during the day or spend your time in the market or go to the city's parks. There is one opera at evening every day. There is a symphony performance every morning. At noon, there is a play at the theater daily. You may go to Church as well, if you so desire, although keeping with Milan this place has only Roman Catholic. There may be more denominations in the future.

"I was not sure what you wished as far as clothing, so half of your preselected wardrobe is modern clothing, while another half is that of the time period. Choose whatever you like. The citizenry will not care, although some of the children have received deficient enough mental conditioning that they will be childish enough to make fun of what you wear. There is no refrigeration here, so you will have to get your meals from the market every day. Don't worry. All major pests have been eradicated from this environment. And do not worry about money. It has no value in this self-contained society. One is measured by what they produce for the society as a whole."

Kei frowned a bit at that, turning away from the room and looking back to Darcia. She crossed her arms in response. "And exactly what am I going to produce?"

"Your cover is that you are a post-modern artist." Darcia simply responded.

Kei couldn't restrain it. She truly had to laugh at that.

"Don't worry about it." Darcia simply answered. "I have infiltrated the files to describe you as being on your yearly sabbatical. If you truly feel useless, you may busy yourself in the farms or construction. But other than that, you need not worry about providing for yourself. Hence, you can get whatever you wish at the market and travel to any show that you wish. With that said, good day."

After saying that, Darcia began to back up. He reached out and grasped the doorknob, and began to pull it to. Suddenly, Kei felt a sting inside her at that. She spoke up and halted him. "Wait!"

Darcia paused, and looked back in at her.

"You're just…leaving me here?"

"I have other matters to attend to." Darcia calmly responded. "I'm sure that you will feel comfortable here enough on your own." A pause, and then a dark question. "Are you frightened?"

Kei felt a frown come out at that. Of course she wasn't frightened. What were these people going to do? Paint her to death? She could drop the guards to this town with her gun, not to mention her mental powers made her the strongest in town. True…it felt as if she had just been sent back in time, but this was a nice place. She had wanted to check out Italy for a while. But the only time she went anywhere now was as a terrorist. This was a nice change of pace. And yet…for the past five days, she had been almost in solitary confinement. She had no friends, no contact, and nothing to do while she was here. The only person she had been in contact with the whole time…was Darcia. He was the only one she knew about. And after that revelation that one night, she felt she had a special insight into him. Now, she was stranded in an alien town with no one. If that wasn't enough…this room seemed more meant for him. It was filled with things he would be more interested in anyway. And to tell the truth…Kei sort of missed hearing that piano play. And while Darcia was normally a cold-looking bastard…whenever he let any emotion through she felt herself almost…attracted to it. She had no one else, and no other allies. He was the only one she could talk to as an equal. She had shared more about herself with him than anyone else, despite her own wondering at why she had done so. In truth…she'd kind of miss him. Him…his music…even his appearance. He wasn't like the other men in her life. Most of them had been the filth of humanity, lewd, greedy, small-minded, vicious, and punkish. They cared about getting drunk, getting high, and getting violent. Nothing more. Darcia…he just seemed to be…almost…_above_ all that. It seemed to hold no sway over him, and his own ideals and very person seemed to be greater than all that crap…which was so much better than any other man she met…

_He's…a lot like D. Colder…but like him._

"…No." Kei finally responded, more quietly than she wanted to. "I just…I… I don't know about this town. It's kind of freaking me out."

Darcia glared coldly back.

"Then you are scared."

Kei swallowed. "No! That's not it. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"…I'm…I'm kind of…alone here…"

"There are people everywhere here. Talk with them as you would any other. I did not even know you liked company."

"I can't talk to them. I feel like I'm humoring some dog when I do."

"So you want to talk to me instead?"

Kei felt herself taken back a bit. Her forehead broke out into sweat. She recoiled slightly, but then shook her head. "No, that's not it… It's just… I need… Well, to talk…"

"Tomorrow night, I will be back here before sundown." Darcia explained at length, his voice low and cold, not changing in expression. "I will discuss what I can do about your escape then. But if you wish, we may go out and do something in town during that time. That will enable you to see that this city is fairly normal, and it will give you some stimulation."

Kei blinked in astonishment. She couldn't believe it. He had just come out and said that normally. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to react. So she stood there, silent and unmoving. Something was happening again. She felt younger…more fragile…weaker than she really was. She felt inadequate again before him, forgetting all her maturity and experience and strength. She couldn't say anything. She merely stared back at him. She mouthed something…and slowly she felt herself give a slight nod.

"Very well. Good afternoon."

Darcia continued to pull back after that. As he did, he pulled the door to. But just before it closed, just when there was only one crack left…Kei could have sworn she saw something unnatural.

She saw Darcia crack a small smile.

The door shut, and after the click Kei was left in silence. She blinked and door there dumbfounded for a few moments. She was still struck by him, feeling small and quiet compared to his presence. She stood and was unable to move for some time. But in the end, she did move. She collapsed backward and fell right into one of the waiting couches. As she did, she sighed loudly, and then bent forward and propped her head up with her arms on her knees. She rubbed her temples and her eyes. She long since had gotten used to Darcia's presence transforming her personality, but she couldn't stand how confused she was after it was all over…

_Dear God…did I just agree to a date?_

* * *

To be continued...


	6. Dreams of Paradise

Chapter Six

_May 10, 2017 – Somewhere over the Atlantic_

* * *

Washu typed against her keyboard for a few moments longer. It had taken nearly a day to do what she had requested, to locate the special sites in each of these cities, to visit each one, and to drop off each of the teleporter enhancers. However, they had managed to do so. Now that the last one had been left, Washu had gotten to work uplinking them right to the deck of the Ryo-Ohki. The chibi scientist finished typing a bit longer, and then, as before, she typed her exaggerated enter key.

"There!" She cheered. "All ready! Now I can teleport us to any of those main capitols."

"And for once, we seem to be ahead of our game." Lupin added with a grin. "We actually haven't heard of any attack yet."

"Assuming we guessed right…" Inuyasha grumbled and reminded everyone.

"Ok!" Washu responded. After that, she looked up and called out to the ship. "Ryo-Ohki! Fly us to the coordinates I've sent you!"

A resounding metallic meow proceeded to reverberate throughout the entire ship. Once it had, the group knew that the ship had changed course and was flying again. They felt no change on the craft, but they didn't need to. No one felt any effects of relativity on deck the spaceship. Washu turned and explained to them.

"Seeing as some of our main targets are bunched close together, I've decided to put Ryo-Ohki in the midst of them so that we can call on support as soon as possible."

"Alright!" Yomiko cheered, getting excited again. "So when we get there, we just blow them up and take back the book, right?"

Alucard snorted in response. "It's unlikely that they'll have the book. As for blowing them up, that would be highly unwise. They'll only send another unit to a different target, and that time they will be ready for us. The best bet will be to put some sort of tracking device on their machines, drive them off, and then follow them right back to their location."

"No problem!" Washu added. "I'll just give you all some hand-held sticky trackers. All you'll need to do is slap it on a good-looking machine. And if those won't work, I've got just the thing. I'll put an underwater sonar probe in the ocean. When they escape there, it will chase after them and relay the message back to us."

"Sounds good to me." Lupin responded. "I'm going to need some more rounds for my gun."

"As will I." Alucard added.

"And I'll need a _lot_ of paper." Yomiko threw in.

"Other than that…" D finished. "It seems like we'll be waiting for a while. Unless anyone has anything better to do before the attack, we'll be waiting here."

Inuyasha groaned. "Great." He spoke. "I wish we could just get this over with. Is there any chance you're going to get me back before then?" This last question was addressed to Washu.

"Oh, no can do, Lassie." Washu calmly responded, rising from her invisible chair and waving her finger in front of her. "I've got to use this time to catch up on my soaps."

Inuyasha's face dropped as he stared blankly at Washu in response. But the little scientist calmly turned and began to make her way back out to another area of the ship. The hanyou continued to gape as how easily she had just brushed him off, and then soon twisted and began to bristle in rage.

"I got to find a book to read… I haven't read so much a newspaper in five days…" Yomiko moaned, and then rushed off behind Washu shortly after. Obviously, she expected the scientist to be able to provide her with one if nothing else.

"Hey!" Lupin soon yelled from behind, and dashed after her. "I've got to keep busy too! You're the only halfway normal one on this ship! Wait up!"

Soon, the remaining four were left abandoned in the central area. Inuyasha continued to bristle about this, with his latest hopes of getting back put on hold. As for Kohaku, he took this all calmly for a few moments. But then, without voicing any other objections or saying another word, he turned and began to walk out down another hallway. D and Alucard were soon the only ones who weren't moving. D himself stood straight, tall, and cold. Alucard was leaning against a wall again, but wasn't saying anything else. A brief pause went by, as the rest of the ship grew silent and the two were left alone.

Finally, however, Alucard cracked another toothy smile, and then looked up and back to D. The dhampire kept his head to the ground, but he could feel the power of the other's gaze on him. He didn't say anything or react, however. Alucard stared at him a moment, watching him appear to ignore him.

"So…want to pick up where we left off?"

* * *

_May 11, 2017_

* * *

_Knock-knock…_

_Sigh…here it goes._

Kei swallowed hard, and then stepped forward to the door of her new "apartment". She trembled a bit as she reached for the handle. She felt small and young again… Why did he always make her feel so childish and weak? She hated that feeling…and yet even hating it required more maturity and strength that was suppressed within her whenever he came. She grit her teeth at the thought. He was _not_ her superior. He was just a strange man, and a terrorist. And so, she leaned forward and opened the door slowly.

There he stood.

Kei felt cold all over the moment he laid eyes on her. She felt anxiety flood her system. It was not just fear this time. Mostly, it was nervousness. It made her quiver slightly and fold her hands in front of her, wringing them slightly. She felt stimulated inside just to see him. She felt her hands and feet itching. She couldn't remember having ever felt this fearful. Not even when she had faced off against Tetsuo had she been this afraid. She licked her lips slightly and continued to look him over.

He was still dressed in black, but his outer robe was finally swept back over his shoulders. It revealed him dressed in much the same attire as the normal people, although it was still black and the style of a noble. He had white clothes underneath his black, however. His shirt poked up slightly above the collar, giving him more of an elegant, formal-wear approach. Kei couldn't believe it. She felt so more immature in his sight…that she actually felt herself begin to blush.

Darcia regarded her calmly, but then looked down and looked over her. He did not smile. His one steely eye continued to gaze right into her own. "…I wasn't expecting you to dress up."

Kei swallowed and tried not to turn red. Sure enough, as she bowed her head a bit and looked over her body, she was reminded that she had changed. Now, more than ever, she had thought it was a bad idea. She should have just kept on her modern, conservative clothes. Although this was pretty conservative as well…it was clearly a dress for the time period, and it was classy enough to be worn on a formal outing. It made her nervous that she had put it on. She almost wondered again why she had. She hadn't cared to wear any sort of nice clothes since she was a child. What was Darcia that he made her feel like such a little girl?

"…I…don't like people staring at me." Kei at last explained. "I blend in better with the people when I dress like this. It will make me feel more at ease."

Darcia looked her over silently for a moment. After a second, however, he reached out his black-gloved hands to her. "Well, this is too high, and that is tied too tightly." He explained, reaching for her dress.

Instinctively, Kei began to recoil. "I…that's not necessary…"

"What are you afraid of?" Darcia simply asked in response, pausing only long enough to ask the question.

Kei stared back at him, and saw his hard eye continuing to stare at her. She hesitated a moment longer. She wasn't sure what she felt then. Perhaps his presence had subjugated her once more. Perhaps it was because he wore his true emotions on his sleeve, that she could tell he meant nothing lewd and had no sexual thoughts about this. Perhaps it was because she was fearful of the man touching her. Or perhaps…it was because she felt, for a hint of a moment, maybe even imagining it…that Darcia's gaze became softer as he stared at her. But at any rate, she resigned herself. She allowed Darcia to touch her dress and adjust it. The whole time, she swallowed and struggled to hold back her trembling.

Once he was finished, he spoke up again. His voice…seemed a little less cold. "And one more thing…"

Kei looked up, and saw Darcia reach to his side. A moment later, he pulled something bright out of the darkness of his cape. It shone forth and shimmered in the evening light from the darkness of the man. Kei spotted it, and nearly gasped. It was a beautiful white flower.

Struggling, Kei managed to get off of her schoolgirl-like emotions for a moment, and became a bit harder. "…I'm not on a prom date. I'm just out to pass the time here for a while."

"All of the ladies wear them." Darcia calmly responded, not suggesting or urging or quite commanding, but stating it as a fact. It was as if to say, _If you're going to go out with me, you wear this._ And so, Kei felt herself put down again. She maintained somewhat of a hard expression as Darcia's hand reached up and gently tucked the stem of the flower into the hair over her ear, and balanced it there. However, she felt more like water than ever at that moment. She felt dizzy, and wondered more and more if this was a terrible idea. Why had she agreed to this?

But it was soon over. Darcia leaned back a bit, and then turned his back to her. He then tilted inward, giving her a rear profile, and gazed at her. Then, to Kei's surprise, he changed again. His eyes remained hard and cold, but his lips slowly changed to give her that same slight smile from earlier. Then, he crooked his arm and gestured to her. "Shall we?" He calmly asked.

Kei felt ready to pass out. Her knees began to knock under the dress. She clenched a fist and held it in order to balance herself. Darcia was beginning to turn into, at least on the outside, a traditional noble gentleman. Apparently, he had plenty of time to learn manners and refinement in his supposedly long life. But it left Kei feeling astonished. It wasn't until this point that she began to realize that Darcia, this whole time, ever since she arrived, was treating her like a lady rather than a terrorist, saboteur, agent, or even a potential ally. And now, it exuded forth. Darcia, though still cold and different, had gone back in time as well now. Now, he was immersed in the past, and assuming the behaviors of a man of the period. And what more, by doing this to her…she realized she was slipping into the period as well. She was losing parts of herself. She was losing her fierceness and independence, and she too was assuming the role of a lady. It was like both of them were suddenly in a school play and were magically becoming their roles.

And yet…despite all this…Kei felt herself, almost subconsciously, continue to submit to it.

Slowly, she extended her own quivering arm into Darcia's. It was cold, but it was firm. It seemed to hold her up slightly, and combined with the look it seemed as if he was changing again. First, his personality had overwhelmed her into being a frightened girl. And now…it was as if he was trying to rebuild her. It was as if he had shoved her down into her "proper place", and now was allowing her to come back up only as he wished, and fulfilling the function he wished. Kei couldn't tell what was happening or how, but still she found herself unable to break from this. Instead, she settled into his arm and felt comfort from his presence.

Soon after, the two of them turned and began to walk down the stairs, out into the street.

* * *

_Well…at least some of me is still here…_

Kei thought that as she realized that she still disliked the opera. Sure, it was good to go somewhere else for a change. Most of the time she spent in bars or people's basements, where the only music was indistinguishable from banging on metal, everyone was drunk, and you spent half the time getting a callus from slapping perverts. Here, at least, she enjoyed the atmosphere a bit more. But she still didn't want to be here…

It all started on the walk there. Kei felt ready to faint constantly at the fact that she and Darcia looked like a couple. Ironically, it was his boldness and calmness, and his mentioning to her to relax, that kept her calm enough to get there. When they arrived, she soon grew nervous again as the various lords and ladies seemed to regard them with amazement and small laughs. Apparently, Darcia was already famous among the nobles…and now that he was out on what appeared to be courtship, they all were thinking that she and he were an item. It only made her more nervous. Luckily, that helped to dissuade her from realizing that Darcia owned the best box in the house, and that she didn't notice that he was leading her right to it. Once there, at long last, she was separated from the rest of the crowds.

The music was nice here. The singers were clones of the greatest performers in history, and the musicians were also the cream of the crop clones. Never had Kei heard a performance that beautiful and touching. It made her forget about her escort for a while, relax, and simply take in the music for a while. For an hour, she had merely reclined and heard the long melody. However…it didn't last. She was too modern for things like the opera. After only an hour, the novelty and power wore off. She began to grow bored, and propped herself up somewhat lazily in her chair. Her arms crossed, and she began to sigh progressively loudly during the performance.

"…Do you find this program boring?"

Kei gave a little gasp at that, snapped out of her thoughts. It was Darcia, his voice cold and stern once again. However, as she turned and looked to him, and saw him gazing coldly back at her, turning away from the performance as well…she noticed he truly was interested in her opinion. Kei held a moment, holding back and looking at him. But then, she told herself to stop being silly and act like a woman. At that time, she was able to respond.

"It's…nice." She managed to say after a moment. "But…I never really was one for these long performances."

"Very well then." Darcia calmly responded. "We'll leave at the end of this song, during the applause."

Kei opened her eyes in surprise. The opera had been Darcia's first idea, it seemed, and now he just wanted to leave it. Despite the fact that she should have asserted herself, Kei found herself being apologetic. "Well…if you enjoy it…then-"

"I despise it." Darcia coldly snapped back. "It's a frivolous, meaningless waste of time. This whole theater is. I spent the first twenty years of my life attending plays, operas, and symphonies, and I emerged finding myself a few hours older and not any wiser or having any further worth. That's what happens when you become a noble, when you become someone of worth. You become a sessile mushroom…a leech on the world that feeds and feeds on more yet produces nothing. Eventually, you become so blithe and fat on your own inactivity and lack of toil that you have to pay money to go to these ridiculous places so that people can struggle their hardest to make you feel an emotion you should be out experiencing for yourself."

Kei was taken aback by this. She was stunned at Darcia's biting reply. Again, his anger had come forth. And it frightened her a bit. There was more to him, she realized, than he was letting on. He was still a mystery to her, but it was making her anxious the more than was revealed. She swallowed a bit. However, Darcia grew calm again, and spoke once more.

"What would you like to do instead?"

Kei blinked back for a moment. She was still a bit stunned at Darcia's tirade. She swallowed a bit, and recomposed herself. In the end, however, she calmed down, and an idea came to her head.

"Well…"

* * *

"…Heineken."

_I don't believe it._

Kei received yet another shock from Darcia that night. The first shock was still making her reel. Here they were, inside a building closer to the seashore and far from the opera. A three person band was playing music in the center of the room, but all around them there were tables and chairs filled with rather chatty people. To Kei's astonishment, in response to her request, Darcia had taken her to a bar. It was still in a Renaissance setting, but it was indeed a bar. They served more than just beer here though. They served any kind of wine, hard liquor, champagne, or any other rich drink one could think of. Kei could see that over at the monstrous bar in the back of the room. As for herself, she and Darcia were distanced from the others. They were in the area reserved for the higher nobility. This was in a dip that was near the opening to the outside, and had carpet on the floor. What more, the seats weren't stools or chairs, but were large, cushioned armchairs and couches. Kei and Darcia were set in two chairs next to each other, but Kei could see a few people around as well. There were three ladies laughing at one of the couches, and a few old men puffing on pipes. Despite Darcia saying that the leader didn't "indulge" his "subjects" with drugs or narcotics, Kei felt a little light headed breathing in their smoke.

This, however, was the latest surprise. The tall dark man, stoic and calm, controlled in all things…ordered beer. Kei could only stare at him in response to that. As such, she didn't notice that the waiter turned to her. She blinked, and looked from him to the waiter and back again. However, she then snapped out of it, and turned back to the waiter. "Oh! Um…I'll have the same."

The waiter nodded, and then turned and began to walk out of the room again. Kei turned back to Darcia, who calmly leaned back into one of the chairs as he did so. He slowly crossed his legs, and then folded his arms in front of him. She stared at him a moment, and then spoke up again.

"…They actually have modern beer here?"

"Of course." Darcia calmly answered, not looking to her. "They have all modern beers here. The bottles are in an older style, and the kegs are made of wood, but they have been imported. You may have not noticed yet, but one of the cheaper restaurants in town is a picture of two golden waterway arches, and is run by an old man by the name of McDonald."

Kei was stunned. She gasped a chuckle for a moment, and stared blankly at Darcia. "Huh…I don't believe it. This place really is like the world went back in time."

Darcia didn't answer. He merely kept his arms folded, and stared coldly back out in front of him. Kei's smile vanished, and she grew somber again as well. She stared at the man for a short while. At length, however, she began to think again. She was out with this man tonight. She knew that there was something about him. Something was buried underneath these cold emotions. And it was coming out only in bursts, which only served to pique Kei's curiosity. She didn't know who he was or how he had got here, or why she had never heard anything about him. But she began to grow curious as to find out. Darcia fascinated her now. She couldn't deny it. She wanted to know what this was that made him…why he talked in such a strange way…and why he hated this world that many would consider a utopia.

At last, she ventured a question.

"…Why do you hate this place so much?"

Darcia calmly looked forward at that, and didn't answer.

Kei held a moment, but then continued. "From the looks of it, you have everything. Notoriety…luxury…enjoyment…anything that people of the world could want is here."

"And is that the limit of a man, little woman?"

Kei stiffened at that. Darcia's voice had grown darker and colder suddenly. He was leaning back now, but his one steely eye kept looking out. And for the first time, he had addressed her in a derogatory voice. But rather than get upset…Kei felt herself shoved back into "her place" as Darcia continued.

"Is this what has become of us? That we become hedonistic little creatures that live only from one source of pleasure to the next? I thought that was what you despised. You saw what had happened in Neo Tokyo as a result of such thinking. What is essential is the pursuit of life, love, and personal victory. What does this all achieve? It is nothing. Candy for the brain, sedatives for the soul. And this is what our 'great society' has become. This is what the human race is. This is what my 'master' wishes to create. A useless society devoted to false notions of peace and advancement, and all of it as colorless and bland as a piece of stale bread."

Darcia quieted down for a moment. Kei stayed quiet, but stared at him. There was a pause. Slowly, however, Darcia turned and looked to her. The appearance was so sudden that Kei nearly leapt back. However, he merely stared at her. His voice became calmer afterward, and he began to speak up again.

"Tell me…young Kei…do you think yourself evolved?" He asked simply. "Do you think yourself advanced? Do you think that you're at the top of the species? A pinnacle of evolution? The master race?"

Kei didn't answer. That struck her as quite a strange question. She merely stared back. However, Darcia seemed to take that as an answer. He snorted slightly, and then turned away and looked ahead.

"We all do." He simply answered. "After all, are we not the masters of the planet? Have we not put all things under our feet? Have we not cast off the shackles of evolution, adapting ourselves however we see fit? Do we not control what on this planet lives or dies? Is not our will be done?"

Kei felt nervous again. Darcia had a power to his voice once more, and it made her fearful. However, he merely snorted again, and continued.

"A joke. This…this…miserable excuse for a life is nothing. We think ourselves wise. But we are dumb. We think ourselves strong. But we are weak. Nature and time grant the power of understanding and knowledge to all things. They work so that heart and spirit endure. We respect only power…only what we can see. And we make ourselves drunk on these other pleasures because we can no longer feel our connection. We no longer know how to live. Even the smallest mouse can make its living in a rough forest. But the strongest man can die because he is weak. He lacks no natural knowledge, as they do. He has no spirituality tied to the world. He has no true strength.

"We gave it up. Our true wisdom…our emotions…our strength…we gave it up for this. A bottle of fermented liquor and a diddy on a block of wood with strings. We don't regard nature or life as something to be in harmony with. It is something to control…to dominate…to gain power from. That is our only ambition now…more power. Or our ideals of a so-called great society. The great society is all around us, and yet we cannot return. When we took on this mantle of so-called knowledge and ability, when we put on the flesh of humanity, we cast aside what we once were…partners and members of this great cycle around us. Now, not only have we spat in its face and decided to rise in our own estimation, we are killing it. We wring the life from this world as we do each other, all to satiate these base and shallow appetites."

Kei was struck dumb. She sat there silently, gazing at Darcia. Again, he had poured his heart out to her. Again he had made his intentions known. It made her turn a bit, and unsettled her. And yet…she didn't know if he had a point. She had mingled with a lot of filthy, disgusting people with time. She had seen her share of depravity. Most of all…she had seen people break the backs of those underneath them just to gain a few selfish pleasures for themselves. Humanity had knowledge…but it had lost a lot in the process. It could be very inhuman. Of course, they were capable of great love and caring as well…but that had to be forced. She could see how Darcia might prefer the state of nature. At least those creatures were in balance with each other.

"…You envy the natural world." She at last stated, released from her anxiety for now.

Darcia paused a moment, looking forward. He seemed to be stewing it over. At last, he spoke. "…I envy what my race forsook." He stated at last. "We were once creatures united with all things. We could have taken pride in our connection with that. Now, we are the great destroyers. Perverted and altered. You, young lady…saw what the effects of humanity were when they tried to control their own evolution…" Darcia slowly turned to her at this. "Didn't you?"

Kei swallowed. A cold feeling went through her, reminding her of what had transpired. But yes…she would never forget that. She inhaled sharply, and gave a slow nod.

Darcia gave a knowing nod to that as well, as if acknowledging it. "Yes. Another foolish attempt at wisdom…trying to manipulate the most elemental forces of nature to grant oneself limitless power. But that is what humanity has been doing for some time now, is it not? Is that not what they do when they rely on something other than their own flesh and bone? Changing their fate. Perhaps time and destiny selected to weed out the human race long ago. Perhaps we should have died, but we cheated our death. Perhaps…" A brief pause here, and a turn back to Kei.

"…Perhaps we are not the heirs to this planet, as we like to believe. Perhaps…the powers that be chose a different race…a stronger race."

Kei stared at Darcia as he said that. As he did, she felt a tremble beneath her. She felt her stomach turning. For a moment…there was something different on his face. She saw almost a ravenous look to it…an animal look even. But it faded quickly, and he once more grew calm again. But even as she saw that…she noticed something else. There was an animal quality about it then as well.

But that wasn't what was on her mind now.

She took in what Darcia had said, and thought back to Akira. He was right in that regard. People struggled to evolve themselves into gods. All they ended up with was a devil and countless deaths. It was indeed a monument to mankind's hubris, a slap in their face to their attempts to totally dominate their own destinies. But rather than step back and say enough to that goal…they were proceeding. Oh yes, Kei knew that all too well. They were desperate to find any traces of Akira or the project left. There were none, thanks to her and the group…but they searched none the less. The research continued. And it was that research that gave birth to monsters like the Colonel. Yet still they would not stop. They would not call a halt to this. And if one tried to say enough…what would they do? Shout in fury and indignation that one was being barbaric…ancient…dogmatic…that they were trying to stagnate the advance of science. They claimed that they needed to do this…that they had to continue one life-warping experiment after another…for the sake of progress. For the sake of 'helping better ourselves'. Advancing the human race…rather like Darcia said…

But all it ever created was inequality, greed, and most of all nightmares. People focused the full brunt of their technology not on cures or betterment…but on military might and entertainment. Use all the latest altercations of nature not for good…but for destruction and amusement. Kei had thought this herself many times before…many times when she felt fruitless and hopeless in her journey. Would this ever end? Would people change? Worse of all…was she really all that different from who she fought? Was she fighting for the same reasons that would be viewed as simple and meaningless to the rest of the world? Were they doing so already, and that was why they wouldn't aid her in their plight?

Kei didn't want to think about this any more.

Instead, she turned to Darcia again and spoke up about a new topic. "You have a rather bleak view of the world, Mr. Darcia." She addressed as calmly as she could. "You seem to think this is a false utopia. What do you think is a true utopia?"

Darcia didn't answer immediately. He paused long enough to do one thing, that surprised Kei again…

He smiled.

"…Have you ever heard of the legend of paradise, Kei?"

With this, he turned and looked to her. His expression had changed. It seemed warmer now…but also more probing. It was diving into her, wanting her to answer and answer truthfully. Kei was stunned at it. She was taken aback and once more felt the pressure of his personality. However, she shook her head. "…No."

"I didn't think so." Darcia answered. "No one should know it, save me. It is a tale from the ancient world…a world far earlier than you realize. I told you I was from long ago, Kei…but you may not yet realize how long. At any rate, that is a tale for another time…" With that, he turned slightly forward and continued.

"…There was a rumor that when the world was laid waste…when all life ceased…when all the things that we saw passed and that there was nothing left…a gateway could be found. Now, like any gate, this needed certain keys in order to open it…and no one knew where it was. But it was claimed that if it could be found…and the right keys used…that it would unlock a paradise on this world." When Darcia said this…a change came over him. His voice became lighter. His darkness faded slightly. His head rose, and he grew more emotional and incensed with this. It struck Kei, seeing this come over him. However, he went slowly on about this.

"It was said…that when paradise was opened…the world would be reborn into the paradise. Death would be washed away…pain and misery would be no more…and all the hurt and agony that one had gone through would be washed away as life and love filled them. A new world…an undying world…would be created. A world where there was no more suffering and no more tears. A world where death no longer held sway, and all could at last find inner peace.

"In this world, humanity would at last be free of their cruelty and greed. Their ambitions would vanish. They would ascend and become what they once were…content with the nature around them and one with the very life that flows through us all. And in that place of life, free from death, there would be eternal peace and happiness for all."

Kei listened to this, and marveled over the change in Darcia. He explained it with such joy…as if this was his dream. It filled him with happiness and light that had long since vanished. It was as if he truly came alive at that moment. Just the mention of this place changed him. It was amazing to see. However, when he had trailed off and concluded…Kei changed a bit. Her face calmed, and she sighed slightly.

"A nice fairy tale, Mr. Darcia." Kei simply responded. "All peoples have a myth regarding a paradise."

Darcia, however, merely smiled wider and continued to look ahead. But as he did…his old darkness came back, as if that alone was enough to yell back at Kei for doubting this. Kei felt herself pushed back, and the dark man continued.

"Oh, it is quite real, young Kei." Darcia continued slowly. "I do not say this lightly, either. I myself searched for it years and years ago. And there was a time when all people searched for it. That was because, as you will one day discover, in a time of hopelessness and death, you search out the last rays of hope. That paradise was the last ray of hope. And I drew close to it as well. Oh yes…it was within my grasp. I nearly had it…"

Kei's blood ran cold. It was because of Darcia. She knew that tone…and she knew how strong it was. She realized, in a bit of amazement, that he wasn't lying. He was speaking the firm and undeniable truth. She knew Darcia by now. She sensed him. He wasn't one to lie, and he wasn't one to make up stories. If he was talking as if this paradise was real…then it meant that he genuinely believed it to be real. And if he said he saw it…she realized that he _had_ seen it. She felt she could trust him right there. When she heard him, she believed in him as if this paradise had been published by thirty encyclopedia articles as existing. And that amazed her…that she realized he wasn't joking. It was true…? In that case…new ideas came to her mind…

"…Why didn't you open it?"

Darcia's smile faltered a moment, but then it turned up again and spoke back. "I told you. We are all flawed in this flesh form. I devoted myself far too much to my own ambitions. I had already crushed too many other innocent lives to be pure enough. And so…I was unworthy to enter…and paradise spat me from its mouth as if I was so much vomit. And since that time…I no longer know where it is. I no longer know how to find it.

"But…I have not given up." Darcia's voice went lower and more dangerous at this. Kei saw a flame burst in his eye…an undeniable, unquenchable flame. And now, it blazed with a passion that had not been denied even after thousands upon thousands of years…and now came to life again. "Oh no…my resolve has only been strengthened with time. I came close to finding it once. I will find it again. And this time, I will be able to enter it. I do not know how. Alone…I already know that it is impossible. I lack the power. I lack the means. But I will find a way. Somehow…I will find a way. The future of this world may depend on it…"

Kei was stunned into silence again as Darcia trailed off. She watched him, seeing that look in his eye. It was like seeing Captain Ahab after Moby Dick. He was relentlessly pursuing the one thing that had hurt him years earlier. And yet…as Kei heard this and heard the tale…she began to think.

The world could be dying. In a few days, a new chapter in the history of war would open. Clone armies would now be a possibility, along with many new weapons. Soon, there was going to be a new set of global conflicts. Soon more people would grasp for money and power…and in the meanwhile they would destroy more innocent lives. The people in Neo Tokyo…their lives had been shattered so many times already that full grown men were now feral. The rest was scum…violent people who wasted their lives killing brain cells and abusing the poor and weak. Humanity was indeed a disgusting sight. She had seen it at its worse…and it never got any better. Yet she felt in her heart that it wouldn't last forever. Eventually…it would burn itself out. And when it did, what would be left?

_Paradise…_

A strange fancy entered her head. Perhaps it was her weakened personality. Perhaps it was Darcia's suggestion. But whatever the cause, she thought of it again. What if it really existed? And if it did…what if it was unlocked? What if this polluted and rotten world would pass away? What if these wars and greed would stop, and people would stop dying? What if there was peace for everyone? A world without these horrors and nightmares… Long ago, she accepted them as granted. To do otherwise was kidding yourself. Pain and evil was a part of life. But now…did it have to be? This idea was ridiculous…and yet Kei had seen many unbelievable things in her time. She was one of them. What if it was true?

She felt herself slowly asking the question.

"…Can…this place be found…in this time period?"

Darcia paused in response. However…his eye changed. Deep inside it…he felt the most joy yet.

"…Not by a human…"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	7. Escape from DC

Chapter Seven

_May 12, 2017_

* * *

Kei found herself unsettled the next morning. She only absent-mindedly went about getting herself dressed, back in her modern clothing, and forgot totally about breakfast. She then spent the whole morning in the foyer, merely looking outside with a confused look on her face. The discussion from last night alone had been enough to disturb her. However, there was more now. She felt herself deeply unseated and feeling strange.

Why was she feeling like this? She had always been sure of herself. She never had to worry about her feelings or emotions confusing her or getting in the way. Even when she confronted Tetsuo she had been in control. But now, she was feeling totally overwhelmed. Perhaps this was her medium powers again. Perhaps she was channeling something from Darcia into herself. But what? And why was she this way?

She couldn't stop thinking about Darcia and what he said. She kept thinking back to his animosity of the world…his grim prophecy for its future. Kei couldn't help but feel he was right. One of the reasons she felt so unnerved here was because it was so peaceful and clean. The world was not that, and it was not what she was used to. Here, she didn't have to be on guard against thieves and perverts. In the real world, she constantly had to look out. And she never felt safe in a situation unless she was sure she could kill anyone around her. To her realization, that was a horrible thought. It was a horrible way to live. But then again, the world was a horrible place. It didn't have any of this beauty around here. It didn't have anything natural anymore. Just garbage and scum.

It may have been childish…but to believe in a paradise? A way out from this downward spiral of the world getting worse? Why not hope in that? There was little else to believe in. But finding such a place?

_Not by a human._

That chilled Kei the most. It seemed as if that comment wasn't just explaining something to Kei…it was instructing her. It was telling her what _she_ had to do, as if she was actively searching for this place as well. But if she was? Then what did that mean? She _was_ human… So wasn't that statement moot?

_Knock-knock…_

Kei looked up slightly, and looked back to the door. She hesitated a moment, but then turned back and sighed. Maybe it was the laundry woman. She had come yesterday, after all. Or some kid wanting her to come out and play with them. Maybe she would. It felt like she was really playing a game with herself, especially since the kid was a clone who couldn't be more than a few months old, but oh well…

"Come in." She said at last.

The door clicked, and then slowly came open. Kei was looking at the ground, and sighed slightly. However…she soon noticed that the shadows seemed to grow darker. The air became colder. She felt her skin begin to crawl, and felt her spirit pushed down once again. As the door slowly shut again behind her, she knew who it was. But what more…she realized he hadn't come for a chat. She could sense him. He was grim and serious now, and she turned almost in a start and rose up to look at him.

"…Darcia…"

He was indeed there. He was back in his old black cloak, which looked much the same. He gazed at her darkly again…more darkly than last night. The night before, he was almost friendly. But now he was cold again. He walked calmly over to her…and Kei felt herself a bit frightened. She almost wanted to back up. However, she asserted her boldness and froze herself before she had a chance.

"…I have found you a way out." Darcia calmly addressed the woman. However…his tone seemed a little extra cold, as if he was upset that Kei wanted to get out. "Tonight, we make our attack on the US capitol. I've secured a glider, and a means to get you aboard one of the attack tanks. You need only wait until the fight begins, and you may escape."

Kei hesitated in response to this. For some reason, she doubted this was all. And from the looks of Darcia, that wasn't only what he had come to tell her. It made her quiver slightly. However, she inhaled, and then spoke again. "…I suppose you'll be leading this attack as well?"

"Yes."

Kei paused a moment, but then swallowed and continued. "…You have such a hatred for war and ideas of utopia, Darcia." She stated a bit more boldly. It was time to learn the truth. "So why are you helping this leader?"

Darcia paused only a moment, long enough to draw himself up. When he spoke again, his voice was colder and stronger than before.

"…I have witnessed the slow decay and death of human civilization, young lady. I believe I, out of all people, am qualified to know how to recognize it again. Soon, this world will pass away into ashes and fog just as the old world once did. When that happens, humanity will be more closely divided than ever into the rich and comfortable and the dogs. In those last times they will indulge themselves on their sins and vices until they have destroyed themselves, and lay in unburied graves on the surface of a dead world. It is inevitable. And it is because of that reason that I see no reason to try and stall the inevitable. Only to hasten it. To hasten it means to bring about the gateway to paradise."

Kei stood back a bit at this. Her heart began to beat a bit faster, and she felt cold all over. The air seemed to grow still in here, and the sounds of outside seemed to grow silent. "…What…are you saying?"

"Paradise can only be found though great sacrifice." Darcia calmly responded. "It is not until this race of humans has nothing left to lose that they will be able to actively seek it. The coming apocalypse is inevitable. It can only be slowed or hastened. I elect to hasten it. I have already waited over ten thousand years. I will wait no longer. The leader's armies will serve as a catalyst to begin a new war that will bring about the collapse of this planet's life. Then…only then…will paradise be attainable."

Kei's eyes widened in horror. Her heart began to race. "That's insane!" She yelled at him.

"The world is insane." Darcia calmly answered, not batting an eye. "This is only continuing the madness they have begun."

"But that would kill millions of innocent people!" Kei insisted.

"As I told you…" Darcia calmly answered. "…there must be a great sacrifice."

Kei couldn't believe this. Darcia's dark nature was finally exuding forth. But she wouldn't stand for it. She couldn't stand for it. She grit her teeth. Anger made her return to herself. She held up her hand and braced it right in his face, like it was some sort of weapon. "You stop this _right now_."

"As I already told you…" Darcia responded, not even blinking. "Killing me will achieve nothing. The master's plans are already in motion, and he controls all."

"Then take me to him right now!" Kei snapped back angrily. "And screw that security bullsh't! I'm not waiting here any longer. God…I must have been crazy to play all this resort crap with you! I don't know what the hell you've done to me since I got here, but it's going to end right now!"

Darcia didn't answer right away. He gazed back at her calmly. But then, he suddenly changed. His shadow seemed twice as big. His darkness seemed twice as potent. His eye blazed in his skull and burned into her own eye. At once, her anger was suppressed once again, and she felt herself beaten back into her "proper place". She began to tremble, and almost recoiled from the man.

"Do you think, little woman…" Darcia began to hiss viciously through clenched teeth. "That you are so much better than me? Do you so eagerly take on this mantle of the heroine of the world? Some benevolent creature who loves the innocent and guards them from death?" He sounded almost like an animal himself, as he growled at her. Then…he suddenly did something surprising.

He spit in her face.

Kei blinked and recoiled a bit, but other than that was too dominated even to wipe it off. She kept her eyes on Darcia…as if she was watching a predator and she was the prey. She dared not look away from it, fearful that it would make a killing stroke. He began to encircle her.

"You…my young lady…are as weak and feeble as _them_." Darcia hissed. "You're worse. You're a perversion. You're a sign of their foolish attempt to become more. Look at you. You look so strong and so bold, don't you? You look so self-righteous… It's a lie, just as this world painted around you is a lie. You bathed your hands in your share of children's blood, haven't you? You wrote off the bloody bits of mothers who were torn asunder by your bombs as simply stepping stones to gain your country's independence. You excused all of your own abominations and terrorist acts as acceptable. In whose eyes? Your own? The world's? Some higher power's? You've murdered, Kei. And you did it for the same selfish causes as everyone else. In name of their nations power. And you never thought twice about it. You think you're so superior to them… You're just another agent. The world is full of self-righteous crusaders such as you that triumph their own liberty above everyone else's. In truth…you care little for what misery and death and injustice befalls others…so long as they are underneath you. You're as shallow as the rest of the governments and their worlds in this."

Kei continued to tremble slightly. But she said nothing. Her heart continued to race…and she felt cold inside.

"But that's not all…" The dark man continued. "What about you? You've had your share of violence and seduction. You've used your body like a matador uses a cape to get what you want from men. You've killed your share of people. And all in the names of your high and mighty ideals. Yet you thought it was a savage injustice whenever another country did the exact same thing to you or your people. You never opened your eyes and saw that you were looking in a mirror. As I've told you again and again about the evils of the world, you were calm…because you deluded yourself, as they did, into thinking it wasn't them. You told yourself, my soul is not so black. I have a heart. I have concerns. I have a moral standing above this…and have earned the privilege to shake my head and sigh over it. Kei…you are _just like them_. Little girl…you're no better than them. Every one of my biting, hateful comments was in part directed right _to you_. Because in my eyes, you're as sickening as the rest of them. And if you look deep into that black rag you call a soul of yours, you'll find it just as bloodstained and burnt as the worst of your enemies."

Kei felt herself tremble. The passion started to vanish from her eyes. She swallowed. Her pupils began to shimmer.

"Do you want to know who you really are, little girl?" Darcia asked calmly. "Do you want to know what your true face looks like underneath this mask of duty, false nobility, and man's intelligence you made? You're exactly what I called you. You're a child. You're weak. You were always weak. You'll always be weak. Your puny arms and legs can be outrun by the smallest mouse. A deer could shatter your strength and crush your skull with one hoof. An insect could bite you once and kill you with disease. And if you were dumped naked and alone in the middle of a wilderness, you would die within days.

"But you know all this. This is why you have all this boldness and emotion. This is why you tried making yourself strong. But all it made you was a sham. Deny it if you like, but it is true. Only a person like that would only truly feel comfortable when they could kill those around them. You think all of your so-called maturity has made you strong and protected. It's put up walls. You block everything out, but nothing comes in. And because of that, your miserable soul is frozen in the state of being a small, helpless child. That was why you settled for marrying the very scum you claim to loathe. That's why you embraced a stupid addict as a husband, whose sole thrill was being able to beat up helpless people. Because in the end…that little child inside you learned long ago that those were the only people who seemed untouchable. Those were the only ones who could act without shame or fear. And while you struggled to guard yourself against all the shame and fear that they put on you because they refused to acknowledge it, you became weaker and weaker…until now you're becoming the same as them."

Kei stiffened a bit at this. Her lip clenched. She shook hard, but it was obvious that the words struck her. She swallowed again…as a single tear went down her eye.

"You can feel it already. Each man that you shoot…makes it a little easier, doesn't it? Each child's corpse you see burned…a little quicker to rationalize her little face away, isn't it? And those little nagging voices of reason in your head that speak up every time you begin to doubt that the actions of your nation are just…they're growing quieter ever day, right? Your heart is turning to stone. Your mind is dulling itself against the truth. You're turning into the same heartless woman you always tried to convey. The little child inside you is fading and is being replaced by this mask I see before me. When she's gone, you'll be empty. You'll have deadened yourself to all else. You'll resign yourself to your grim existence and that will be the end of Kei." He dropped his voice slightly, growing calmer. He leaned in closer to her, now that he was at her side. He spoke in a loud whisper into her ear as she trembled. "Do you not see it? Do you not feel the poison in your soul? Can you honestly tell me differently?"

She couldn't.

Kei swallowed again. Her arm began to lower. Her lips trembled. She bowed her head slightly, and two more tears rolled out of her eyes. She said nothing else, only felt herself begin to cry…as she felt the deep agony in her heart. She couldn't respond…because she knew that Darcia was telling the truth. She had never cared about those people, only her goals. And in the course of time, she had stopped questioning those goals. She had just blindly carried them out, and she was getting more blind every day. But worse of all…was what he said about her soul.

She realized now that she _was_ frightened. That was why she embraced Kaneda in the end. He was a dirtbag…a piece of scum in littering the streets. But he was able to defend her in the end…and so she found herself gratifying to him. And he was no better than the rest of the people she pushed away. In fear, however…she realized that she had not just pushed people away, but had kept herself from going out. She hadn't loved. She never really truly loved anyone before. She didn't know what it was like. She had boarded herself up, and never let herself connect with anyone. She always just had duty…not love or feeling. She had gone through the motions. She looked less cold than everyone else. But now…she was turning into that as well. She was becoming just like the other cold people in her life.

…And she hated it.

She deeply, truly hated it…and the thought that it was true made her cry.

Darcia, meanwhile, calmly leaned back. He circled around her and stood before the woman. He gazed at her for a moment, but then spoke again at a quieter, softer voice.

"I am telling you this Kei so that you will make the best decision." He informed her. "I did so because I see something different in you. I did since the moment I saw you fall. I saw a desire to change and the means to make it so. I saw a deep yearning in you to be free of this world of men and to be free of what your worthless state of humanity has made you. You haven't loved yet…but I know you long to. I see that a part of you still is full of true purity and honor, and a desire to love all people justly. Inside, your soul still burns as a child of creation…at least for now. Now, young lady…" He paused for a moment, and then spoke with more force. "…I offer you a chance to save yourself."

Kei blinked and sniffled once, but then looked up at that. She gazed at Darcia, her face turning to confusion and puzzlement. He merely looked calmly back. What did he mean by that? What did he want?

"I cannot find paradise alone, Kei." Darcia continued. "I learned that mistake thousands of years ago. I need assistance. I need someone who is willing to correct the mistakes of their species, to give up their fallacies and faults and to become purified. You, young lady…you are the one who I see has the most potential. I see what is possible for you. I see that you have the desire inside yourself to cast off this mantle of abnormal human flesh and embrace the body of a child of creation."

Kei blinked. She began to grow fearful again. Darcia was growing energetic…but about strange and alien things. It started to upset her. She swallowed and shook her head. "I…I don't understand…"

"Come with me, my young lady." Darcia answered, addressing her as if she was a noble herself. "You are confused. You are lost. You are helpless and young inside. But you do not need to be. It is merely this perverted form you see the world through. It is in this wretched body that you find the powers that you have painful and hard to control. But listen to me…and I can give you a new body."

Kei felt a rush of fear at that. She blinked, and began to think Darcia was crazy again. She recoiled a little. "…A new…body?"

"You cannot enter paradise as a human, Kei." Darcia continued. "Only one species may find it. Only wolves may find it. Listen to me…join me…and I'll show you how you may become one."

That had been it. Immediately, Kei's feelings broke, and she stared at Darcia in shock. "You're crazy!" She bellowed in his face. "What the hell are you talking about!"

And yet…Darcia's voice calmed her down again as he continued. "You're fearful. I know. I was the first time as well. And it was painful…oh yes. But I completed it. I know you, Kei. I know that after it is complete, you'll ask yourself why you didn't abandon a human body years ago. You will at last have the tranquility and knowledge that nature bestows on her children, things that were battered down and forgotten due to the so-called knowledge of men. You'll never feel pain from your powers again. From the mind of a wolf, you will have full command over them and they will be as natural as breathing. You'll never have to fear the same fate as Akira befalling you.

"Most of all, Kei…you will be able to reach paradise. You will be able to find it. With our power combined, we will be able to unlock it, and create a world of peace and happiness. Do not fear this transformation. You are not descending into a vicious creature, you are ascending into your true nature. There is nothing to fear once in that form. A human is a nature to be feared, because it creates endless fear and misery. If you want to escape…listen to me. Allow me to help you, Kei. Allow me to turn you into the creature I know you wish to become."

"I don't want to be a g-damn werewolf!" Kei angrily spat back. Either he was insane…or he was going to try some sort of genetic experiment on her. That was the only way she could see turning into a wolf. In either case, she didn't want it.

"You have no choice, if you want to avoid what you are turning into now." Darcia calmly responded. "A wolf is a beautiful child of the forest. It has an inner wisdom and tranquility about it that humans spent their lives trying to find. You are turning yourself, young lady, into a cold piece of rock. A heartless stone. You don't truly care for those whom you hurt and kill, nor for your ideals. If you would like to…if you would truly want to be a compassionate and virtuous woman…you'll listen to me. You aren't transforming into a monster…you're halting the transformation that's turning you into a monster as we speak. That I _know_ you want.

"You are a precious woman, Kei. I have not met so understand a human in some time. I can see your beautiful spirit…and I only wish to perfect you. Spiritually, mentally, and physically. Then we can find paradise together. Then there will be no more need for pain and fear. I know you want it. I know you desire it. But you cannot go as you are now. You must allow me to help you…to truly complete your evolution."

Here…Darcia began to extend a hand out to the woman. Kei looked down on it, and saw it turn up and offer itself to her. She stared at it for a brief moment, quivering inside and watching. But then, she suddenly reacted.

She lashed out and slapped Darcia across the face.

Darcia's head was flung to one side. His dark look did not abate, but he shut his eyes. A red mark began to materialize on his white skin. His hand remained frozen in the offer for help, and did not move. Kei, meanwhile, felt her anger return. She quickly went over to the dresser to get the weapons that Darcia had brought her, and then planned to get the hell out of there.

"I don't know what kind of bizarre, psychotic game you're trying to play…but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you turn me into a dog for your sick fetish pleasure." Kei spat at him, taking up two guns and putting them in her belt. She drew up a jacket next and flung it over her shoulders. That done, she began to take up the spare clips and fill her pockets with them. "I can't believe I've been here so long… I'm not playing this stupid waiting game in your genetic paradise any longer. I'm getting the hell out of here, and if you try and follow me I swear to God I'll kill you."

That done, Kei began to stomp for the door. She reached it and immediately flung it open. She began to storm out soon after…

"Kei."

And yet…Darcia's presence lashed out and hooked her again. She couldn't move. She was abruptly frozen in place. But she didn't look back at him. She didn't dare. She kept her gaze forward and did not change. Meanwhile, Darcia calmly turned and faced her. He began soon after.

"…I do not lie, Kei. And you know that I have had no impure thoughts about you, or that I desired to do anything grotesque or experimental to you." He calmly started. "You know that to be true, even if you try to deny it. The only test I gave you was subjecting you to myself. You have a strong spirit, despite all of your weakness. Despite your faults, you are still strong compared to other women. If you were not…you would have not even been able to stay conscious in my presence the first day I met. You wouldn't even be able to talk back to me now."

Kei's anger died down a bit, but she didn't move and stayed in the doorway.

"The choice must be yours, in the end." He simply went on. "Only you can decide whether or not to embrace the body of a wolf. And I cannot force you to join my quest for paradise. But know this. What has begun cannot be undone. If no one unlocks paradise when this is all over…this world will truly die. And I cannot do it alone. I need help. Please…think about this."

* * *

_Somewhere over the Atlantic_

* * *

"If our assumptions are correct…it should happen any time now."

Alucard didn't adjust in response to that. He merely kept his head bowed and continued to bide his time. He was leaning against one of the supports in the hall again, and over on the opposite side D was much the same. They were alone now. Inuyasha was off pestering Washu to see when he would get to go back home. Kohaku, silent and stoic as always, had gone off for a flight without telling anyone, although one could easily see the white dragon passing the ship occasionally.

D was silent for a few more moments. He said nothing and did nothing. Then, he looked up and turned to the vampire across from him. "…Do you have anything to say?"

"Should I?" Alucard calmly answered.

"I thought you might want to respond to me."

Alucard merely smiled. "But would that not ruin my persona? The visage of a cold, heartless vampire? Preying on the innocent and weak?"

"I'm interested in knowing if my assumptions are correct."

"Really. A foolish move, on your part. You're opening yourself up to a weakness. I now have something you want, and now you are at my mercy at how to get it from me." The vampire tsked him and barred his teeth. "Shame, shame. I didn't think you'd open yourself up to a weakness."

"If you don't wish to tell me, that is your prerogative." D answered calmly, not showing any disappointment. "I'll simply assume my suspicions are correct. After all, if you truly did feel differently, I would think you would at least want to point that out."

"But where's the fun in that?" Alucard smoothly answered.

A quiet pause went between the two of them. Neither moved a muscle or said anything, as D continued to be stoic and Alucard continued to beam his wicked smile. No one else came forward.

"…You were the only one I ever considered doing without being contracted." D darkly spoke at length.

"Really?" An undisturbed Alucard answered. "And why didn't you try? Don't tell me you found even vampire blood to be thicker than water."

"…I didn't because I wanted to know what she saw in you." D replied after a pause. "Something you had must have attracted her at first. She was not a stupid or weak-willed woman."

"And how are you so sure?"

"Because if she was…you would have drained her the first night."

Alucard grinned and gave a small chuckle. "Touche. Perhaps you've got a bit of your old man's intelligence after all."

"You seduced her."

Alucard merely shrugged. "That's a moot question. I seduce almost any woman I pass. Surely…you have seen the same. Or perhaps you don't notice how only the strongest willed women are able to keep from staring at you with that lovesick look in their eyes? My blood made you quite the ladies man. You'd be surprised at exactly what the women of this world will do for you if you will consent to be theirs. But of course…" He paused, and grinned a bit. "…That's your way. You always were chaste. Was it because your 'dear old dad' flaunted his power so much?"

"…She _did_ give in to your temptations, though." D flatly stated.

Alucard, however, gave a light snort at this. "And you accuse me of insulting your mother. If you think she was so strong willed, did you think the gift of eternal life could sway her? Oh no…such was not the case. That was one reason why I never finished it. Oh, I gave her a nibble once and savored her flavor, but she never drank so much as a drop of mine. Her strength did diminish, as you noted, and her will eventually melted away into nothing, and eventually I could have forced her to if I wanted…"

D picked up on this.

"…But you didn't."

A pause from Alucard.

"…No, I didn't."

"Why?"

Alucard merely gave a chuckle at this, and looked up so that he could stare right in D's eyes. "Oh D…you're such a one for making educated guesses and theories. Why don't you guess?"

"Because I tire of riddles."

Alucard hmphed in response. "How boring." He flatly answered. "And how limited. I am surprised at you, D. You picked up how I serve only my own ends always and forever, and how much I loathe fellow members of my so-called 'race' as I do those they graze upon, and yet you debase me to their level. I am not like those who issued from me. They seek to satisfy their own inquenchible lusts by gathering tepid-tasting harems and practicing polygamy. I have neither desire nor need to collect wives. I have never done anything for such a shallow reason, certainly not fill my time with some half-mindless harlot, be she vampire or human."

D paused at that for a moment. In all honesty, Alucard probably told the truth, as much as D hated to admit it. And now, it seemed, he was finally starting to talk. This might be useful. All vampires were vain to a degree. They all believed themselves to be wiser and more intelligent than all mortals. If you managed to get their pride and arrogance stroked, then they could play into your hands. D had a feeling that Alucard was beginning to show such signs.

"…So you did desire Mina."

Alucard merely turned away. "…Or I found a way to have her benefit me, and she did so better as a human than as a vampire."

D was silent at that. Still dealing with mysteries. Perhaps he had overstepped his hand with that last one. Alucard might be playing with him…baiting him on with little slips and then leaving him hanging like a fish on a hook. It wouldn't be beyond him. But whether or not he decided to press this matter was soon irrelevant. As the two of them stood there, a siren suddenly went off within the Ryo-Ohki. Both immortals ceased their talking and looked up to the ceiling in alert, although both were extremely calm. Elsewhere, the other members also began to straighten. Throughout the interior, a female voice thundered with a child-like eagerness.

_"Everyone…we found them." _

* * *

_Washington D.C., United States_

* * *

The horrors of earlier terrorist attacks were nothing compared to what was unleashed on Washington D.C. that night.

Across the foyer of the Washington Monument, the fountain ran clean and clear water. A few insects were hovering over it and chirping, for night was descending and the last rays of light were fading. But they soon scattered…for in a mad rush a crowd of people descended on them. They cared not whether they were on water or land. Some ran around, but many jumped right in and charged through the long basin of water in front of the monument. Everyone was panicking. Many were trampled as they fled, and some unfortunately were held underwater. But no one cared and no one was there to help. The MPs were with them, already having abandoned their posts and fled for their lives. Then, abruptly, a huge fiery blast streaked through the sky and struck the base of the monument. Immediately, a powerful explosion resulted. Huge pieces of white stone were blasted into flaming chunks and then thrown violently from the blast area. Having lost its balance, the great obelisk staggered a moment…but then suddenly lurched forward at one side and slowly fell to the ground. A moment later, it connected, shattering and sending a great cloud of dust in the air. People screamed for a moment beneath it…before being silenced by the rubble as it came crashing down. Others, however, now found themselves hopelessly trapped, and truly began to panic as a great set of treads rolled forward, crushing the fallen monument and whatever else it came across in its path.

The demonstration from the other day was nothing compared to the full-scale assault that now rolled forward. The stops were all pulled out this time. Five of the massive tanks were rolling forward, each one with weapons out firing almost non-stop at the surrounding area. MP soldiers and armored cars were little more than tissue paper to them as they came forward. Those that weren't obliterated by the guns were either crushed or simply ignored. Aircraft had been mobilized, but so had the aircraft of the enemy. And their pilots were far more talented for direct fighting and bombing. Distance attacks were nullified by countermeasures before growing close. And it had been too soon of an attack to mobilize tanks into the area. What was left was the barely adequate forces already present, and they were quickly being overrun.

The troops were already moving out, covering the ground as they surrounded their massive artillery supporters. They fired out continuously in all directions, shooting anyone they came across. Their orders were to act without pity or mercy to any of them. Their leader didn't care if all were wiped out…he knew that some would survive and escape. And with one less powerful nation, the other ones would vie for power soon enough. And so they marched on, sniping innocent people in the back as they fled, and coldly glaring out over the battlefield as they marched relentlessly on to the Capitol…

Abruptly, however, one of the soldiers gave a small noise and then suddenly collapsed. The two flanking him immediately halted and looked to his body. They saw him laying still on the ground, not breathing or moving. He had been killed…or sniped, was more appropriate. A small object protruded from his back, and blood came out from it. The closest soldier bent down and gently took the object, pulled it out, and then held it up for all to see. They soon regarded it with puzzlement.

It was a paper star.

That was all they managed to gather before a bullet hit one in the back, and a blade swung down on the other. Both gave barely audible cries before falling to the ground. The rest of the troop line moved forward, oblivious to what had happened with their backs to it. A little bit behind, the line of tanks continued to make its way forward. But in between, no one had noticed that six people had suddenly materialized right in the midst of the battle.

Lupin looked around at the situation, and gave a whistle. "Whoa…good timing. Right where they can't see us... Too bad we're a little underequipped to fight World War IV…"

Alucard looked over the area for a moment, nonchalantly observing the chaos that was unfolding around them. He finally turned back to D. "Well, now that we're here, what shall we do?"

"What else?" Inuyasha replied as he flexed out his arms and brandished his claws. "Get to one of these oversized buckets and tear it apart." As if to accentuate that, the dog demon turned and immediately bolted straight for the nearest one, not seeming to care whether or not it saw him and started to fire at him. Yomiko turned and gulped a bit, before nervously extending a hand to him. However, he was already dashing out of auditory range and was now leaping to the machine. The others stared back for a moment in silence.

In the end, however, Alucard merely gave a snort and a grin, and drew both of his weapons. "Works for me." He calmly answered, and then proceeded to stroll at a gradual pace toward the oncoming tank that Inuyasha had made for.

"You know, not all of us are immortal monsters!" Lupin yelled out in complaint.

Kohaku frowned. "Too late now. We might as well join in." With that, the youth gave a shrug, and then took off after the others. D, silent and not giving any indication of action, drew his own nodachi and ran after them. Yomiko and Lupin were left standing there, mildly dumbfounded at this as they watched the others rush straight into battle. In the end, however, Yomiko merely gave an innocent shrug as well. Then, she immediately dropped her briefcase and flung it open, scattering papers everywhere. In a flash, she swept her arms around and folded a few hundred of them into a sort of hang glider. Quickly, she seized the paper "bar" she had made, and then dashed after the others. After running a few feet and hopping slightly, the glider took off into the air and began to soar toward the tank.

Lupin was left standing in the middle of the battlefield. He frowned and let his shoulders droop helplessly.

"Why do these guys always go the route that leads to them getting blown up multiple times?" He groaned. "I'm not even getting any loot out of this…"

* * *

For a brief moment, the pilots of the fifth tank were puzzled. Their display was mostly turned upward, showing the horizon and Washington D.C. spread out before them, and they were turning all guns toward it to level the place into an empty lot. Some of their lesser artillery was aimed toward those that were fleeing…at least, those that were still in range. However, on one such sweep, they noticed that some were much closer to the tank. In fact, as they looked down to get a better view, it seemed that a few were actually _approaching_ the tank. For a moment, the pilots looked in puzzlement around their display at what this could possibly mean…

But that was before a white-haired youth in a red kimono literally tore into the control room and into their midst. The pilots looked up in shock as the bestial humanoid tore through the bulkheads and conduits, leaving shredded metal and sparking wires in his wake. A moment later, they were recoiling as the hanyou was on them. He clawed and punched them in a flurry of blows as he leapt around the room, jumping into one after another. Each blow felt like a cement block smashing them in the face, and they immediately fell in response.

Overhead, the various gliders looked down below and spotted the approaching individuals. They too were perplexed for a moment, before they saw a massive eruption from one side of the closest tank. At that time, they realized they were an assault force. Yet the lead commander barely had time to give the order to attack before his glider suddenly erupted in a fireball. Instead, a unified expression of shock and surprise came through the radio as, through the wreckage of the destroyed plane, a glider made out of paper came through bearing a girl with oversized glasses and a trench coat. However, she glared at the other pilots darkly, and before they knew what to make of her she threw out what appeared to be paper airplanes at the nearest glider. They pierced it like projectiles, and after taking three hits another glider exploded.

The remaining pilots quickly turned their attention to the new arrival, and aimed their weapons toward her. Yet just as the nearest one locked on, a new attack struck. A massive white tail swept out of the sky and broadsided the glider from behind. It hit with such force that the glider bent in half, and soon exploded from the fuel compression within. The pilots turned to look, and were soon shocked again to see an even stranger sight. A massive white dragon spun through the sky, barring its teeth and roaring wildly at the surrounding area. It thrashed about like a great serpent and struck down one ship after another. Soon, the gliders were struggling just to hold their own against these two opponents, and had to ignore what happened below as more and more carnage unfolded.

* * *

"Control Room, I repeat, what is going on up there?"

Again, static was the only response that the gunner received. He was one of two clones operating one of the bigger guns on the side of the number five tank. They had been awaiting further directives from the cockpit since they were put on stand-by, but now they were getting no response. The gunners looked to each other and frowned. Something could have struck back, in which case they had to move to the default protocol…

Just as they were about to send another inquiry, however, the door behind them rushed open. The two immediately turned around, and saw an additional gunner run in. His helmet was on and his visor was down, but he quickly gestured to the area behind him.

"We have a situation." He immediately informed them. "Someone's managed to infiltrate the tank. They took out the cockpit already. We need every last man to stand down and try and neutralize them. That means all the gunners as well."

The two hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment. They gave a nod in response to the new gunner, and immediately unbuckled themselves from their targeting arrays. They quickly rose up, drew their weapons, and then rushed out the door as fast as they could. The new gunner quickly stood to one side and let them pass. Once they were out, however, and already running down the hall to assist in stopping the intruders…the new gunner slyly inched his way into the room, and quickly pressed a button to shut the door again. Immediately, he hit the door lock, and with a snicker reached up to his head and undid his helmet.

"Whenever there's an emergency, they never remember to check the messenger." Lupin chuckled. He turned to the controls next, and began to make his way to them. "Those guys think they're so great at doing this sort of thing just because they're monsters and beasts and what have you. However, victory doesn't always go to the strong, I always say."

Lupin immediately plopped down on one of the chairs and took he controls. Immediately, he began to adjust the gun barrel. The display came on line, and soon a video screen of the outside with a massive cross-hairs on it was projected. Lupin whistled a bit to himself as he slowly moved the barrel around toward the number four tank. Once there, he slowly inched it down toward one of the treads, and took careful aim.

"Thanks to Fido upstairs having taken out the guys that can manually override the doors and this baby, I've got plenty of chances to cause some mischief." Lupin spoke aloud, right before he depressed the triggers.

Immediately, a massive shell erupted from the side of the tank, shot across the battlefield, and then erupted right at the tank tread of the number four tank. In a flash, the tread band was snapped free and violently shot out. The entire tank rolled forward a bit more before lurching to one side and digging the rollers into the ground. Once it did that, the great machine groaned a moment before beginning to spin around this axis created by the fallen side by the one remaining tread. As it did, the huge bulk of the tank came swinging around dangerously…and went right for the number five tank's side. Before the control room of the four tank could halt, the hull smashed right into the five tank. Lupin was rocked violently inside his cockpit, along with everyone else in the two tanks, as the mammoths crashed into each other. Sparks were sent flying everywhere and grinding metal erupted from the contact. Both machines were damaged and began to grind and whirl to a halt.

Lupin, on his part, thrown out of his chair and now laying on the ground behind it with his legs dangling in mid-air, gave a bit of a groan in response.

"Well…that went better then planned…I think…"

* * *

The guard was at last mobilized. A small force had remained on the tank in case of this contingency, and now they were going into action. The hatch on the side of the disabled tank opened, and soon a flood of troops poured out. Each one was armed with one of the more advanced weapons, and each one was a clone of an expert marksman. There were some forty in all. Yet as they exited and fanned out in ranks in front of the tank, one by one they all froze for a moment in puzzlement. It appeared that there was only one opponent for them, and he wasn't moving anywhere. Instead, he simply stood there and waited for them. It was a tall, dark man with a wide-brimmed hat, and a long nodachi at his side. However, he only showed his side to them, and didn't look the least bit interested. They waited until all were out, but then they froze and watched him for a moment. But he didn't react. He didn't move. Instead…his silence seemed to make the surroundings colder…and darker.

At last, the soldiers had enough. The front ten raised their weapons and prepared to fire.

At that point, the man was on them in an instant.

He seemed to suddenly fly as he turned to them and shot forward like a streak of lightning. In a flash, before any could pull the trigger, he pierced the first line, slashing out once with his nodachi as he did so. In his wake, a few seconds later…well after he was on his way to killing more of them…two of the soldiers slowly slid in half, leaving trails of blood behind them. But those who were unprepared soon felt his wrath. Another swing went out, and two more were struck down. Performing an elegant spin, the single warrior went to the side and cleaved through another one, and then cross slashed to bring down his sixth. The other soldiers began to turn and look at him by this point, and brought their weapons to bear again. But the warrior merely swung his blade around once…and all of the nearest weapons were cut into shreds. He spun one more time, and this time removed all of their heads, some eight in all.

Another had raised his weapon and began to fire at this point. But the dark man nimbly leapt into the air and spun over it, spinning just in time to let the foe's bullets hit one of his own troops. He spun back and landed on the man's head, making sure to give enough force to snap his neck. With that, as the man he landed on fell, he quickly swung his nodachi around and plunged it into the ground. His hands went up a moment later, and shot out and grabbed a gun barrel on either side that was being aimed at him by surrounding soldiers. He quickly pulled them forward as both men began firing, so that either weapon was aimed at the other one instead. Once they had fatally shot each other, the dark man was almost to the ground. So he used the moment to quickly leap up and stretch out his legs to kick away either dead opponent on either side. As he did, he seized their weapons and brought them back, and quickly twisted them around so that he could get a better grip on them. As he brought his arms before him, he fired again and shot at his surrounding opponents. Soon, another ten were dead.

Two of the remaining soldiers came forward next, looking to attack the dark man hand to hand. As the nearest one approached, he swung both guns forward and boxed the man's head in between them. He quickly let either gun fall as the clone groaned and began to go down. In the meantime, the dark man pulled up his nodachi once again and drove it forward, plunging it through the clone in front of him and into the next guard behind him. He then raised the two bodies up, using them as an effective shield as the remaining soldiers fired away at him. Quickly, he crouched behind them as they did, pulled their dead bodies off of his blade, brought his weapon back, and then with a surge of effort threw them both forward into the ranks of the clones. The soldiers soon found themselves assaulted by this unconventional barrage, and their attacks were interrupted. This gave the dark man the moment he needed to dart forward again and slash another two soldiers.

The one on his left drew his combat knife and tried to stab the man at that. The warrior simply swung his own nodachi up, cut the combat knife in two at the hilt, and then brought it back down to slice the man in half. The next in line rushed forward with his own knife afterward. The dark man paused only long enough to twist his blade around and drive it backward…killing a clone that was coming from behind…and then swung it forward, slicing through the clone, and bringing it around to take off the one's head before him. The warrior turned at that, and saw another soldier bound over the dead one to assault him. He tossed his blade in the air at seeing that, and used his new free hand to seize this opponent by the neck. He then lowered his other and ripped a pin off of a grenade tied to the man's armor, then released his neck long enough to punch him dead in the face, sending him flying back to crash into the other two approaching soldiers.

At this time, the units behind him were ready to shoot again. However, his nodachi also had fallen back to him. He quickly reached out and seized it, and then did a double spin right into the two remaining soldiers on his left. Their weapons soon flew apart…before they too went flying apart into three pieces. With that, he calmly stood, and kept his blade to his side for a moment…before he heard an explosion behind him that took the last three soldiers with it.

At that, the warrior calmly wiped his blade off and replaced it in his sheath.

"Hmph. Didn't even need me for that one. You must be feeling pretty cocky today."

D didn't answer. He merely turned and looked out on the battlefield again. As he did, his eyes soon spotted someone.

"So, there he is." His left hand complained. "Feh. Didn't even bother lending a hand. He's rushing off to who knows…" A pause. "Wait a minute…he's not gonna…"

"…I believe he is." D calmly replied.

"…I was wrong then. _He's_ the show off."

As the huge number three tank slowly rolled forward, the machine, and its entire crew, had more than enough time to spot and respond to the one assailant that stood before it. Each of the gun barrels came out from the sides of the huge broad cone, and lowered themselves to aim directly in front of it…toward a single man standing calmly in front of the huge machine. For a moment, he simply stood there silently, and watched the huge weapon roll forward.

Slowly, the red-clothed figure raised a hand to his chin and slowly rubbed it, as if in thought. He flashed his white incisors, but kept his eyes concealed behind his circular lenses.

"What a big toy you have." He simply remarked to the approaching monolith. "Well, do you wish to go first? Or should I?"

At that, the sides of the tank opened, and soon an even larger force than D had dealt with poured out of the sides. They quickly began to flood the battlefield before the approaching tank, easily outrunning it. This time, in addition to heavy automatic weapons, quite a few were armed with the experimental lasers. They fanned out this time, making sure that all could get a clean shot. There were some eighty of them in all, spreading all over the field and prepared to all shoot as one. They raised their weapons to the new opponent and readied to fire together.

Alucard merely gave a low chuckle to them, as well as the tank. He slowly raised a hand to his glasses. "Have it your way."

At that, the enemy opened fire. Soon, Alucard's body was being literally torn to pieces as bullets and lasers ripped through it. Bits of flesh and clothing flew everywhere as the sheer multitude of firepower went through him. His face was horribly disfigured and destroyed within a moment. But still the soldiers continued to blast him until his carcass was an unrecognizable husk. Only then did their commander make a fist in the air and said to hold fire. They did so at that, and surveyed their damage.

For a moment, there was nothing but a smoldering, sizzling, black torso laying on the ground, totally immobile and lifeless. It simply lay there, and the soldiers thought for the briefest moment that their task was done.

But then, abruptly, the torso spasmed. It began to writhe on the ground. Suddenly, four long trunks shot out from it where the limbs had been, and a hump grew to form the head. As digits, hands, and feet sprung out of the husk, it rolled itself forward and began to come to its feet. The bones reconnected, flesh and skin grew over the wounds, and his eyes grew out of sockets in his head as his jaw reset itself. His clothing seemed to stretch itself over his body as well, regrowing from tatters, and he calmly adjusted his still-forming tie as hair spilled over his head once again. Within a few moments, he was back to normal again, without a mark on him. His hand replaced itself on its glasses, in exactly the same way it had been before, and he calmly flashed a toothy grin at the soldiers. They, on their part, were frozen in utter horror.

Then, Alucard calmly removed his glasses. As he did…the entire battlefield seemed to grow dark and cold. A numbing wave of air rippled out over the enemy, and it seemed to freeze their movements and any attempts to fire again. Shadow swept over the field as Alucard began to walk forward. But as he did…he alone seemed to stand out. His presence beamed forth through the gloom like pale moonlight, and it literally commanded all around him to look at him. Try as they might, their muscles were arrested and frozen, and the soldiers had no choice but to look at him…and look up to his now-exposed eyes. They shot forth with piercing, yellow light…commanding and overbearing. They burned with such ferocity and inhuman power… They possessed such strength of will that it defied human logic. Seeing those eyes…the soldiers all felt small…lost…purposeless and meaningless. The vagueness of their own minds, brought about from their limited clone programming, became made manifest. Their sanity was shattered, and they began to descend into a darkening spiral of madness just by looking at the eyes. Despair seized them, and they felt helpless and torn, naked before the power of the eyes as they burned into their soulless bodies. They felt vulnerable and weak…so exposed before the eyes… And as he walked to them…they felt they would die from the crushing despair long before he reached them. They couldn't bear it. There was only one thing to do.

One by one, the soldiers raised their own weapons to their heads and blew their own brains out. They would rather die then dwell under the power of Alucard's gaze. As he strolled forward leisurely, he didn't even react as all those around him, one by one, killed themselves. Soon, the entire assault force was dying, and he didn't so much as lift a finger to one of them. Now, nothing stood between him and the tank. He calmly put his glasses away in his lapel, and next reached for his firearms…

Seeing this, the large cannons on the tank turned to him next. Alucard calmly regarded them…waiting for the opportune moment. It finally came. A split second after the cannons fired, Alucard raised both of his sidearms and fired into two of the large barrels. The huge shots from his weapons pierced the armed cannon shells right as they were leaving their place of origin, and immediately they erupted. Two huge explosions ripped through the sides of the tank, making it rock violently, obliterating its weapons on those sides. Alucard calmly did the rest with the rest of the cannons, moving around them and blowing up each one before the shot could get that far from the barrel. Soon, fiery explosions were ravaging the tank all over, blowing massive holes in it and ripping the hull to pieces. He kept this up until he had only two bullets left, one in either weapon. At that, he lowered his guns and aimed for the treads. He fired at both…but the power of his weapons was so great that it blasted through the curve of the tread in front of him, tore through each roller going from the front to back of the tank, and finally ripped through the treads in the back. The huge tank gave a groan…and then slid totally off of its treads and rollers and slammed into the ground and drug forward. Dirt was upheaved everywhere as it slowly rolled toward Alucard.

In the meantime, the vampire calmly opened his gun barrels, one after the other, and slowly withdrew more bullets from within his coat and reloaded them. Once either gun was refilled and he clicked them into place, the tank was nearly on him. But at that moment, Alucard crouched and then leapt into the sky. Gracefully, and as if propelled by an unseen force, he spiraled through the sky and over the massive tank. As he did so, he let his bullets fly once again beneath him, shooting below into the hull of the tank and riddling it with gaping holes. But far from being random, the vampire was targeting specific areas with each hit and firing just as quickly. As he destroyed the remaining control spots, he slowly came over to the other side of the tank and made his descent once again. But as he did so, he fired one last shot into the fuel line…

Moments later, Alucard calmly landed on the ground, and crouched as his red coat splayed around him. He froze for a moment, with both guns outstretched…and a second later the entire tank behind him erupted into a massive fireball. Shards of metal were blasted into the air and showered down as a great black mushroom cloud erupted from the tank. Within less than a minute, Alucard had killed every clone on the tank and had destroyed it completely.

After a pause longer, to let the explosion die down and the fires begin to slowly crackle, Alucard rose and calmly replaced his weapons. He then grinned slightly as he pulled out his glasses and replaced them on his nose, before turning and making his way to the next tank.

* * *

"Another tank is down, my lord."

Darcia showed nothing in response to this. However, it wasn't as if anyone could see anything beneath his stoic mask. Just his one eye glaring out from one of the sockets. He was in the control room of the first tank, which he used to consider the safest place on the battlefield. However, he was beginning to doubt that was true in light of the past few minutes. It appears that the individuals he ran into in Tokyo were not just bystanders, and they had an interest, for whatever reason, in interfering with their designs. And for right now, they were proving themselves to be far more effective than any other enemy yet encountered. That was only typical to Darcia. He had been doing some research since he last encountered them…and already he was uncovering some interesting facts about some members. They were indeed a great threat…and one that would have to be dealt with soon.

For right now, the cloaked man drew himself up slightly and then gave his order. "We should withdraw for the moment. Prepare the remaining tanks for emergency withdrawal immediately."

"What about our troops?" One of the commanding clones immediately responded.

"We have no time to recover them."

"What about the master? He demanded that we level this city."

"I believe we have done more than sufficient damage for an adequate demonstration. If we don't leave soon, then our true enemy will begin to suspect our vulnerability at the sight of the damage. Withdraw at once."

"As you wish, my lord."

* * *

Inuyasha seized the helmets of the last two soldiers to oppose him, and smashed them together, denting in the armor on either one. He snorted and discarded both, then dusted his hands off. He hadn't even broken a sweat, but already he had almost single-handedly taken down the whole crew to this giant bucket. If this was all there was to it, he could finish this job himself. He looked around and surveyed his damage for a moment. The control room was completely smashed. He had torn up every last light and switch he could find. Meanwhile, he had beaten every soldier that came his way black and blue, and sneered at their attempts to shoot him. With this done, he turned back to the opening and made his way back out, to see what new damage he could cause.

As the hanyou exited, he took a moment to look up. The other youkai and the origami lady were still busy at work, and doing well. One by one, the gliders of the enemy were falling out of the sky. A few tried to break off and attack those on the ground, but Kohaku broke off every time and smashed them before they had a chance. Things were looking good.

_Hmph._ _This is all too easy._

As if in response to that, however, one of Inuyasha's ears perked up to the sound of a great unlatching and whirring. He turned his head in response, and saw two of the three remaining tanks. As he looked…he saw that the guns were being put away. In their place, what looked like a spiral ramp was beginning to come out from the sides. The dog demon had his attention grabbed, and turned fully to face this new development…

Far below, Alucard was dusting a piece of debris off of his coat as D, blade soaked with blood, ran forward up to his side. He began to clean off his blade as the two vampires heard the noise. They looked up, and saw that there was a new development. A spiral opening was unlocking from the remaining tanks. And something was coming out. It looked like a giant spiral sail of some sort. It was flattened into panels, but they quickly began to extend from the sides and lengthen. D and Alucard both turned to this and hesitated for a moment on staring at it. That was before both of them heard a voice in their ears.

_"Uh oh…they're making a run for it."_

D immediately put a hand to his right ear, where the miniature radio that was keeping them in contact was placed. He recognized the childish tone of Washu immediately. However, he had been under the impression that she could only hear them, not see them.

"…You're catching this?"

_"Oh, of course!"_ Washu's voice brightly replied. _"I just gave you all some microscopic camera-building nanites to burrow their way into your eyes and build small relay systems in your retinas so I can see what you see."_

Alucard, for once, actually looked a bit perturbed by that, and he stiffened and turned in the direction of his own ear piece. D, himself, frowned a bit.

"…And when did you manage that?"

_"You people should watch more closely the water I give you to drink."_ Washu mischievously responded. _"Anyway, I recognize this. These tanks are taking on Da Vinci's old helicopter design. They're going to try and fly out of here."_

Already, the blades were fully extended on the tanks. Immediately, they began to rotate. Apparently, the transformation was meant for speed, and was good at it. Despite the large size and mass to move, soon the rotation went from a mere spinning to a blur, and it quickly began to pick up more velocity. Soon, D felt his coat and hat begin to be pulled against as the remaining machines put up speed around themselves. D could immediately infer that in seconds, they would be airborne.

Seeing this, the dhampire raised his blade again. "Then we end this now."

Alucard, however, merely grinned in response. He extended a hand calmly and placed it on D's sword arm, and slowly lowered it. "It would be more prudent to follow them now and see where they make their base. Then we can take them all out together."

D looked to the older vampire. The pause gave the tanks enough time to start generating real lift. Slowly, the huge machines began to pull off of the ground. They picked up speed quickly, and soon they were already fifty feet in the air.

"…Without the Ryo-Ohki, we can't follow them, and at this speed we all can't get on."

"Who said anything about _all_ of us?"

D caught the connotation to that immediately. Quickly, he turned to the man behind him, trying to stop him before he acted. But as always, Alucard was one step ahead of him. When he turned, the vampire had already crouched and leapt once again. D could only turn and look at him as his body sailed into the sky almost as if the vampire was flying. Despite the quick ascension of the tanks, Alucard was a step faster. He outstripped them and caught up to the weapon, and soon, growing farther and farther away as he did, he touched down on the treads and grabbed them. Then, simply holding onto the sides without much effort, he was soon borne away in a flash as the tanks pitched forward and took off at maximum speed.

D felt his teeth clench, already knowing it was too late for him to catch up with the heli-tanks. They were already too far in the air for him to jump at them, and now they were moving away with increasing speed. Inuyasha was out of luck in getting to them as well. That left the flying members. He looked up to Yomiko, but saw that the slipstream of the passing tanks was more than enough to quickly shred her own hang glider into pieces. Soon, she was screaming in panic and falling to the ground. D thought for a moment about how much control she had to lack to not calm herself enough to make a parachute…but that was all the concern he gave her before he saw Inuyasha leap up from his wrecked tank and snatch her out of the air before she could crash. As for Kohaku, he saw the white dragon turn and go off in pursuit. But fast as he was, the tanks were faster. Still, for a moment he tried to keep up. He seemed straining to go after it…and actually snapped at it a few times. But then, abruptly, he gave up all together, and turned and descended back to the ground.

D gave a slight sigh in response to this. However, there was nothing that could be done now. A bit slowly, he raised his blade and slowly wiped off the edge on a dead soldier nearby. He then calmly replaced it, and surveyed the damage. Half of Washington D.C. was a smoldering ruin. The people were still fleeing in panic in the distance. The remaining clones were taking cover, it seemed, because the U.S. Army was coming in and they no longer had the backing of their tanks. The smoldering wreckage of the three tanks they destroyed slowly spiraled into the sky. He looked over this all a bit longer, but then finally turned back to the others. Calmly, he began to walk toward them.

In a few moments, the group was reassembled. Yomiko was still frazzled and complaining slightly, and Inuyasha was complaining that she sounded a lot like a girl he knew. Lupin was a bit shaken up, but the thief had been through his share of explosions and would live. Kohaku had already made his white dragon body vanish in a flurry of white feathers and petals, and was calmly walking up to the others. They faced each other and took a few moments pause.

"Oh man…if this keeps up, _this_ is going to be the hardest book it's ever taken me to get back…" Yomiko groaned. "I hope I can at least read it this time…"

"Well, I think this just about sets the record for most property I've destroyed in a week." Lupin commented. After this, he turned to D. "So where's Vlad the Impaler?"

"He leapt onto one of the fleeing tanks." D calmly responded. "He's following them to their base."

Yomiko sighed. "Well, that's a relief. Now at least he'll give us a signal to show us where they are."

"Doubtful." D calmly answered. "It is more likely that he has grown bored with us, and is simply going to destroy the whole facility himself."

In response to this statement, however, D saw looks of concern from the other group members.

"He's really going to try and take the whole facility himself?" Kohaku asked in some astonishment. "I understand his power, but can he really do that? We still don't know what we're dealing with."

"Yeah, and if it's anything like the facility _I_ stormed," Yomiko threw in. "Then it won't be anywhere near easy."

"Alucard is far more powerful than probably any of us." D simply answered. "He will most likely easily destroy all life in their factory. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if none of us are needed. It probably wouldn't be too bad of an idea to consider going our separate ways."

At this, however, the group really reacted.

"Whoa, whoa, time-out here." Lupin interjected. "You want us to just leave? After all the trouble we took to get this far? And you want to just let Mr. Bela Lugosi take care of things? What about Keity-pie?"

"He has little respect for life, but he isn't without honor." D calmly responded. "He'll probably save her."

"Probably?" Lupin sputtered back.

"I don't care if he can." Inuyasha snorted as he crossed his arms. "I may have been drafted into this thing, but I can't stand someone else making me stand aside like some kid waiting for daddy to come home. I'd rather tear the place apart myself."

"And we should probably make sure Kei's alright anyway." Yomiko added. "I mean, she's your friend, isn't she?"

D paused for a moment in response to this. His fists slowly tightened. A dark mood came over him. For the first time he could remember in decades…he grew annoyed.

"…You're all wasting your time and your energy." He half-snapped. "You have no idea what kind of creature that demon is. The only reason he didn't quench his thirst with the blood in our veins within the first five minutes of knowing us was because he thinks you are all beneath him. There isn't a man, army, or nation in the world that can stand up against the thing. He's already willingly volunteered to end this for us. I do not see why you are all so intent on going with him when he's already made it clear he doesn't need our help. This doesn't concern you or any of us. So why don't you all just stop trying to be loyal to that monster and go home?"

D ended on an especially sharp note…almost a yelling order. On hearing that, the others froze. They had never heard D actually raise his voice before. They never heard him grow so upset or emotional. D himself was surprised at it…and somewhat cursed himself for doing that. He hadn't called a vampire a "monster" in years. He didn't care enough about them to do so anymore. But he had called Alucard that…and he felt his body burning with the unmistakable, yet unfamiliar, feeling of being tensed…with anger.

"A bigger question I have…" Kohaku finally spoke, breaking the silence. "…is why you are so intent on keeping us from going after him?"

There was silence again after it. D said nothing, and managed to put his emotions in check again. But the damage was done. As he turned and looked around at the others…he saw that they were all now focused on him. They had known him too long…known his emotionless, cool side too much to not be thrown off by the slightest showing of emotion. They saw this incensed him. He wanted to tell them off. He wanted to tell them to mind their own business. He wanted to turn and storm away. However…that would only pique their curiosity. That would only betray more emotion. And he didn't wish to do that. He paused for a second longer under their gazes. But then, silently inhaling and giving now outward appearance of it…he spoke coldly.

"…Lupin was more correct than he thought when he gave a nickname to Alucard a moment ago. His real name is Vlad Tepes, son of Vlad Dracul. Better known as Vlad the Impaler. Better yet known as Vlad Dracula…the father of all vampires." He paused for a moment after saying that.

"…And he is my father."

The others immediately responded with looks of surprise. Even the stoic Kohaku was taken aback by this. Yomiko's eyes opened in bewilderment. However, since they had started, D continued.

"Alucard, or Dracula, whichever you wish, accumulated thousands upon thousands of brides in his lifetime. They were products of his younger days, when he struggled to gain any feeling or stimulation from his immortal life by indulging in sensual pleasures until he was dead to every last one of them…but left in his wake a disease that spread to the world and infected it with his kind. Each of these were vampresses themselves. He turned them all into vampires before taking them in…save one.

"There was a woman named Mina who was infatuated with him. She claimed she loved him for who he was, and not just because his personality and charm were irresistible to all mortal women. Eventually, he caught word of her and brought her into his house. Yet for some reason, I don't know why, he did not turn her into a vampress. Perhaps he was bored with their voluptuous and sexual natures, but he left her a human. Yet after they were married, he still fed on her once, so that she spent most of her time listlessly laying around his castle, moaning out for him to come back and 'kiss' her again. But eventually she became pregnant and gave birth to a dhampire.

"The dhampire that she had spent eighteen years of his life inside a darkened world surrounded by horrors unimaginable to man. He was eternally put out of the sunlight, because his father hated it and his mother, in an effort to please her sire, dwelt in darkness as well. His mother was always too weak to nurse him, and instead spent the entire time lying around most of the day, longing for her sire to come back and feed on her again. All other vampires that came to the castle and saw him batted him away or tried to kill him for being a 'bastard'. The father never saw him for the first ten years, for he never saw him as long as his human bride lived, and after that only showed him ways on how to kill. The rest of the time, he was left to scurry around the castle like a rat, sometimes waited on by heartless, ghoul attendants, sometimes left to feed on whatever he could find and manage for himself.

"And through the years, the dhampire saw his father destroy one life after another to try and bring himself some stimulation…until the stimulation came from destroying lives themselves. Meanwhile, his mother…who never said a single word to him that wasn't about his father…wasted away and eventually died, pale and sick, yet with her last breath begging her sire to drink the last few drops of blood from her body."

The group was silent at that. D himself felt a bit unsteady, despite his stony appearance. He had never told anyone this. Yet now, he was opening up to this band of misfits his past story. Even to say it…nearly brought the memories back. Being dark…cold…hungry…and totally and completely unloved. So much so…that all he could do was kill his emotions. He couldn't risk feeling unloved…because he would never get it. He couldn't risk feeling fear…because too many creatures would exploit it. He couldn't risk feeling anger…because it would only hurt him in the end. Yet even now…he struggled to keep his walls from breaking to let him feel again.

"…Alucard is an inhuman monster. His only joy is misery. His only stimulation is death. His only purpose is darkness. He saps the wills out of people who listen to him. He rots away happiness and joy like mold rots away an apple into a stinking pile of sludge. All the things you esteem…friends…family…loyalty…companionship…humanity…he butters his bread with these and consumes them. They are nothing to him, for he feels none of these things. The only thing that matters to him is that he exists. The lives of others mean absolutely nothing to him. They're merely diversions to keep him entertained.

"There is little chance that whatever is in that facility can kill Alucard, because nothing has ever come close. But even if there was something…then I have no regrets about letting him die. Humanity would be done a favor if he was. Your pity and concern is wasted on him, because when he sees you he sees nothing but meat. All of your hopes and dreams and cares and emotions are utterly useless to him…as inconsequential as the ants he steps on. So think about this before you consider wanting to help him."

D finished here. The rest of the group was silent. No one said a word. Their heads were slightly bowed, and they looked to each other uneasily at that. Not only had this been a stunning revelation, but they could sense the truthfulness in D's voice and knew he wasn't lying about Alucard. They had already seen much of this…and some had already felt the bite of a person who cares nothing for other people's lives.

At last, however, Inuyasha snorted again.

"…Well then, I'm definitely going."

D turned his head to this, as did the others in response. The hanyou merely turned up his nose and explained himself. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's all the jerks I have to deal with in my time. If I let one of them show me up, I'd never live it down. Hell, I'll go along just to rub it in that guy's face. If I don't go, he'll just think I'm a real nothing compared to him because I let him handle it."

"And besides," Lupin added as he looked up. "If he's as bad as you say, then I'm going to need to make sure he stays clear of Kei's neck." He smiled and placed his hand on his chest. "I've always had a chivalrous streak. I'll protect the fair damsel from the big, mean vampire."

Inuyasha snorted at that and grunted. "…And who's going to protect her from you…? Or you from him…?"

"And I still want my book back!" Yomiko chimed in. "If what you say is true, then he won't care about it one way or another. But I still need to read it!"

"Whether or not he can stop that army doesn't matter to me." Kohaku added. "What matters to me is that I can protect people who need it. That's what I want to do with the power I spent so much time learning…or I'm no better than people who use it to exploit other people." He turned to D after saying this, and glared hard at him with his ancient blue eyes.

"And you should come too."

D merely stood plain and tall. "…Why?"

"Because you're the same way." Kohaku replied. "What separates you from him is that you help people. You save life and don't destroy it. And you know something else. You know that people like him don't deserve to do things like this. He's not worthy of it. It should be people like you who actually care about who lives and dies, not people who just treat it like some big game."

D hesitated in response to that. He wasn't sure whether or not he believed Kohaku. In all honesty…he wasn't exactly sure why he relentlessly hunted vampires, or why he kept himself to this code of honor. Perhaps it was a lot of reasons. But perhaps…part of it was what Kohaku had said. A part of him…didn't want to see Alucard succeed, because he didn't deserve to. He didn't care one way or the other.

And also…there was one thing else in the back of his mind…

_Even vampire blood…_

_"Well, isn't this an Oscar moment."_ A voice came through the group's ears. They were torn away from their own thoughts at this, and reached for their headsets. Washu's sharp voice soon rang through. _"Personally, I'm doing this because I have a thing for these little adventures. That said, I'm having a hard time locating exactly where Alucard and/or the tanks got to. After I've picked you guys up, which hopefully will be before the army makes it to you, I'll be open for any ideas on how we're supposed to find where they went."_

D paused for a moment in reply to this. That was an issue, if they were all going to proceed from here. He thought of tracking Alucard's radio, but he liked doing things his own way. He probably had already smashed it. They could probably use some of Ryo-Ohki's more advanced radar to find out…or perhaps Washu could make another device. Or maybe they could get something from a ruined tank to aide them…

However, who spoke next surprised them all.

"No need for that." Kohaku calmly responded. "I've taken care of tracking them."

On hearing this, everyone, even D, turned to the white dragon.

"How'd you do that?" Lupin asked incredulously. "You weren't in range to set the sticky locator. You have a tracer hidden under that Prince Valiant haircut?"

"I borrowed a trick from Zanemba, and a piece of paper from Yomiko." Kohaku explained.

Yomiko paused at that, and then looked down at her coat pockets, and began to dig around in them. "Come to think of it, I thought I was missing one…" She remarked…as she seemed to nonchalantly let some dozen papers carelessly fly out of her pocket and be carried off in the wind.

"I made a paper doll from it and imprinted some of my consciousness onto it. Then I made it stick to one of the tanks as they fled." Kohaku continued. "Not only will I know where they go, but I can generate an after-image of myself wherever the paper doll goes that has a measure of my powers."

_"Hey! Not too shabby, kid!"_ Washu's voice piped over the radio. _"That sounds just like the Cholorian Duplicate Trick! Of course, to do that you need a trilithium reactor, a magnetic resonance replicator, three bloody chickens and a can of Yoohoo…"_

"Alright then." D answered. "Then once Washu arrives, we board the Ryo-Ohki and follow the enemy. We might give them a bit headway first to make sure they arrive without noticing us, but once they do we plan our assault and move."

The others nodded in response to this, asserting their dedication. Then, they turned, and quickly began to look for a place to get out of the way to await the arrival of Washu.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	8. One Accord

Chapter Eight

_May 13, 2017_

* * *

It had been a long walk, but Darcia was now safely back in the fortress. After he had returned to the loading bay on his own tank, he had exited and took a confusing series of corridors to work his way to the central elevator. After passing through several checkpoints, he was allowed clearance and finally was able to descend into the heart of the facility. Now that he was back, and far away from his aggressors, he had time to think.

No doubt, he realized that the master would not be pleased with how things had gone. They were supposed to come off as an invincible force in the wake of the attack against the most highest alert country in the world. That they had lost over 50 percent of their forces was the opposite of the view they meant to convey. However, he wasn't too worried. After all, they had managed to smash the capitol and Presidential estate. With those two gone, the United States would now be in shambles as it tried to restore order without a government, and the chaos that would unfold in the next few days…and hopefully, the countries who would take advantage of the situation…would create more than enough chaos to make the world consider them strongly. He would get over it. Darcia was in the clear for now. And that meant he had more time to consider this intriguing woman…

"Sir…we have a situation."

Darcia froze on hearing this. He had just barely begun to exit the elevator shaft and acknowledge the customary officer greetings that always awaited him when he heard this. He had been half-lost in thought, and so was a bit surprised to see that one of the officers had moved in to his side. He saw that he was in full armor but was scarred and scored, showing that he had to have been on one of the tanks as well. He continued to walk after a moment, and kept looking forward, but his attention was now on the man.

"What is it, commander?"

"Tank Six on takeoff detected a minor fluctuation in weight." The commander responded. "It only occurred after takeoff…and it appeared to be making it heavier."

This gave Darcia pause. His step stalled for a brief moment…before he proceeded at a slower and more calculated pace.

"…A stowaway?"

"More than likely so, sir. Also more than likely one of the attack force we encountered. We conducted a security sweep on arrival, but have found nothing. Somehow, he has managed to infiltrate our security."

Darcia hesitated at this and thought it over. So, it appeared his worst fears were realized. Ever since the fiasco in Tokyo, he had made it a private hobby of his to try and find out more about the individuals they encountered. It took quite a bit of intelligence and maneuvering. Apparently, there had been some very classified matters running around that day. He had learned little…but what he did know was that one member was involved with the Hellsing Organization…and was quite possibly the most dangerous creature alive. This one had caused Darcia the most alarm. So much so, in fact…that he had begun to take measures against a possible encounter with such an opponent. They were not finalized, unfortunately…but if that person was the one who infiltrated them, and it seemed he was for having avoided security for so long…then he had to implement them immediately.

Darcia finally responded to the man. "…Initiate Plan Vulcan immediately."

The commander reacted to that. "…Sir, we haven't drilled yet for this plan."

"There is no time for that anymore." Darcia calmly responded. "Initiate and perform the protocol as best as you can. Have all transmissions be open to me. I want everyone to know where I am and who I am."

"As you wish, sir." The clone answered, and then turned and rushed off to carry out the orders.

As for Darcia, he slowly exhaled and tightened his fists.

_Well…time to see how much of my ability I retain… _

* * *

_I can't believe I even stayed here _this_ long…_

Kei had fully changed into her old clothing. All the items she requested from Darcia were present, and she was fully armed. In the end, it turned out she didn't storm far from Neo Milan. She lingered long enough for the rest of these items to be sent, and after the spat yesterday morning they had at last arrived. Everything she wanted with no BS. He had finally come through. It was time to leave this oversized Renaissance fair and get going. She didn't care what anyone thought of her now. She angrily smacked herself mentally for even considering caring about what they thought. They were clones! Not humans! This whole thing was some machination! Not reality! And she was tired of playing along with Darcia's little games. It was time to take things back into her own hands.

Tucking her pistol into her belt, Kei went over to her door and half threw it open as exited. She quickly rushed down the stairs and into the street. As she turned and made for the entrance to "town", she felt herself feeling self-loathing once again. She was angry at herself not for being here listening to this insanity…but for hesitating. She couldn't believe that it had actually taken her time to build herself up to this angry storming out. She used to be ready to slap Kaneda across the face, crush his manhood, and then storm out for the night every time he had given her any of his perverted crap. Yet she had been sitting here just soaking in everything Darcia had told her for days…and now she was actually halting herself to think about it.

_Why are you thinking about this! This is crazy!_

Yet despite that…Kei couldn't help but hold on.

The woman was proud, strong, and independent. She was as fierce as any soldier or martyring terrorist. And yet despite all this, Kei was not a person of a military. And she wasn't a person without emotions. She still became scared and anxious some times, and she lost control and felt herself crying before. She was still human underneath, and as vulnerable as the next person. She had always hated Kaneda's perverted side, and early on when she struck back she just gave him his due. But later on…her stern look and cold retorts were more of a cover up for what she truly felt. Husbands don't do this to their wives, she felt inside. They don't tease them with endless ass-grabbing and sexual innuendoes. Or if they do…they do it for fun once. Not thirty times a day. As their marriage had gone on…Kei had found herself growing more angry with him, and more violent. It was because she was supposed to be his wife…not some piece of meat for a skirt chaser like he thought she was when they met. He knew by now that she wasn't like that. She knew that he knew she _hated_ it. But he didn't stop… He _never_ stopped…not even when she asked him to nicely…

Yes, she still became upset as a woman. She wanted to feel respected and loved, and not because she could kick the crap out of you. She wanted it because that's what a husband gives his wife as her due simply for his loving her. There didn't have to be a reason. It was part of normal conduct. And she too looked at a baby every once in a while and wondered what it would be like to have life growing inside her. She could look at stars or flowers and smile at them. She could loosen up at a bar or play a round of baseball. She wasn't a terrorist because she hated life or had some sort of cold outlook of it. She became that way because she was trying to preserve what she loved. She wanted to prevent the building of a military state, and she wanted to make sure that none of the Projects caused a repeat of what happened with Akira.

And it was because of her humanness and vulnerability that she found herself returning to Darcia's words.

She had allowed Masaru, Kiyoko, and the Lady to use her willingly when asked. She didn't think of the raving, psychotic lunatic who would love to rip her to pieces with his mind. She thought simply of the fact that she could bring peace. That she had a power within her…that could put an end to the violence and chaos that Neo Tokyo had become. That she could stop the madman who threatened the entire world. And perhaps…even somewhere in the back of her mind…she thought that she represented something greater with those powers. That she had become Akira in a way herself…the way he was meant to be. She thought back to when she was a child and used to play superheroes with the neighborhood children…and how she had always wished that someone with super powers would come and really defend the world. And that was her chance. The power within her allowed her to make a difference for good. And it was a wonderful feeling…

But as soberness came back to her, she realized it was a passing thing. Akira survived in some form and reawakened in the body of another demented lunatic. Monsters like Hituro Genma were still being used as weapons by the world. People were turning into demonic creatures to satisfy the desires of other people's ambitions, and all anyone can think about is how to create monsters of their own. Wasn't that what they were when they formed? They had a monster of the Colonel, and their 'League' was nothing more than a collection of freaks and madmen that were put to work to stop it. Even when being used for good, they were tools for another war.

And she…she could not deny the accusation that Darcia made. She had felt so pure and benevolent when she directed SOL to give the finishing blow to Tetsuo… But that was gone. Now she was a terrorist again. She was a human again…and her living was to ensure that thousands of people being sent into her homeland would go home in bodybags. She had never thought of it that way until now…until Darcia had pointed the obviousness of the truth. Day by day, she walked the streets of Neo Tokyo, and saw elderly dying from hunger, children infected with diseases from pollution, and the sick and injured dying in the streets. And her anger had burned so greatly against the other nations for doing this…filled her with such anger and hatred for revenge…

And in the course of doing so, she forgot who had mostly turned their country into rubble. That had been the very organization she was now a part of…the one that she and Kaneda had embraced so wildly and whole-heartedly after the end of Tetsuo. They were full of such great ideals and dreams then…felt ready to take on the world with nothing by motorcycles and confiscated weapons…

…It was because of their inner-city conflicts that Neo Tokyo was still a wasteland where feral children roamed the streets.

Kei hated herself now for having so eagerly jumped in before. She used to hate the new order in the city when she was a refugee. Every week she had to kill someone who thought she was an easy victim. She had to walk around in dirty rags along with her burly aunt to conceal her identity to ensure she wasn't gang-raped. She hated them all for making that society…and yet she went right ahead and made it herself afterward. It was overwhelming to her. How had she gone so wrong? How could she have done this?

But then again, she thought about the United Nations. What was she to do? Let them in? Let them issue their 'nation-building'? The same self-interested bureaucrats, the likes of whom had started this in the first place? The people who were ready to nuke them all into the Stone Age to ensure that Akira was dead? They might have well given up their souls.

…But what right did she have to decide for the starving mother struggling to find rotten food to feed her three children? In the end, what did all of these notions of politics and military control matter when you weren't fed or clothed? When her group had seized power, they had already collected enough to have a fairly decent living.

But that day when the UN arrived…when they greeted them with an RPG…they saw only the face of enemies…not the hopeless faces of thousands who were desperate for a bite to eat…

…And who their "new order" routinely ignored.

Kei truly hated herself now…for at one point she had called them "aimless sheep". On one night, she was angry that they weren't helping out with their war effort and merely were sitting by, waiting to go to whatever side won out. But could she blame them in hindsight? All they wanted was some stability so that maybe they wouldn't have to worry about waking up dead… She realized she wasn't fair to them…wasn't fair to any of them.

But most of all, she recognized the hypocrisy…no, futility…of what they had done.

In the end, for all her ideals and faculties…she was nothing more than another oppressor. Another killer. Another person who's sole purpose was to make sure that there would be no dawn for another. She used to think she was so superior and idealistic. But in the supreme order of things, she realized that she was just another abuser. One in a chain of unending abusers that continued.

Day after day went by. Empires rose and fall. Politicians were murdered and born. But through it all, things were getting worse. Every new innovation and change only improved on humanity's malice and malcontent. Every new order and power only furthered the downward spiral. Humanity kept bouncing back, yes…but the world was making it a higher bounce each time. People…people, perhaps, like her…hardened themselves more every day to the world so that they could survive and succeed in it, and in the process became part of the growing problem they once tried so hard to solve. It was as if the world was some great compost heap that rotted away every new tree or plant put in it, so that instead of growing and bearing fruit it joined the rest of the garbage. And nothing was stopping it. It was growing worse and worse…and all she could do was find herself irresistibly turned into part of it.

And in the course of all this…Kei thought back to when she fought Tetsuo. To her…that terrifying, painful encounter was the brightest time of her life. It was that rare time that one had in the course of their own lives in which they had the power to stand in the breach between the innocent and wicked and truly make a difference. It was a time all those who once entertained thoughts of righteousness and heroism wished for. Back then, for a brief moment…she truly was the person that she wished that she could be. And she truly made a difference. At the end of her actions, the world was a better place. Through all the muck and sh't and refuse that polluted it…she had done something great and good and pure.

And she began to wish desperately that she could feel that way again.

She wished there was a way to bring hope back to people.

And when she thought of this…she thought again of Darcia's fable…

_Damnit!_

Kei smacked herself again as she walked down the street. She kept coming back to that. And she had just done it again. With an angry scowl, she forced herself to put it out of mind. She didn't have time for this. She couldn't afford it if she wanted to live. She had too little time. Right now, she had to focus on the task at hand. She had to get out of here and get into the facility. Much as she hated it, she realized she had to go to Darcia's chamber again. In her earlier anger, she had neglected to find out exactly which glider and which tank she got to use, or even when was the right time to leave. She didn't want to go, but she didn't want to make a straight shot of it, and she had no other safe room.

Biting back the irritation at having to experience him again…and struggling to keep herself calm in the midst of this new self-doubt and speculations…Kei reached the opening and hopped onto the conveyor platform.

Even as she did, a grand announcement blared throughout the small Italian city.

_"Notice: Lord Darcia will be sequestered in his chamber for the remainder of the evening." _

* * *

Darcia sighed slightly as he stood before the door to his own chamber. His mask was already off and his hood back, but the rest of him was still clothed in black. He tightened his fist anxiously…and felt for the special controls on his gauntlets. His sword was secure at his side, and his gun was strapped behind him. The special triggers and modifications were all in play in his chamber. He had to hope that they would work. He was now alone in the hallway. His men were on stand-by, but here there was nothing and no one. Silence reigned throughout the chamber…and for once he did not welcome it.

Slowly exhaling, Darcia at last stepped forward. His door slid open, and he went inside.

His chamber seemed emptier than usual, and far quieter. When the door slowly shut behind him…the lights seemed dimmer than before, and he felt a sensation of being trapped. He suddenly felt as if he was some sort of mouse that had gone into a trap. He stood in silence a moment. But then, he pushed it aside. Calmly, he walked into the room, keeping a control on his emotions as always. His one eye darted around and examined the shadows momentarily. He saw nothing in them…but they seemed far darker than usual. The room itself seemed cold and still…like the world had been before he died for the first time. Everything seemed covered with death, like a layer of frost on a winter's morning. Still, Darcia proceeded forward into the chamber, until he reached his piano.

Once there, the man attempted to be as normal as possible. He placed his mask against the bench, and began to reach up and remove his collar.

At that moment…the air seemed to grow stiller yet, and a great shadow fell over the already dark man. He felt his blood turn to ice in his veins, and it took all of his ability to control his emotion to keep perfectly stoic. Slowly, he heard a smooth and lethal voice speak right behind him in his ear.

"…Well now, you obviously wanted me to come here, based on all the open transmissions and the loudspeaker announcements. Now that I am here, whatever will you do with me?"

Darcia slowly raised his head. He put his arms to his sides, as if a gun had been pointed to his brains. However, he stayed perfectly calm. "…Alucard of the Hellsing Organization, I presume."

"I'm touched." The voice calmly responded behind him. "I didn't know my reputation proceeded me so well."

"…Vlad Tepes was always a favorite historical figure of mine." Darcia responded slowly and smoothly after a moment. "Or do you prefer Vlad Dracula?"

"A human with some sense. How interesting." Alucard calmly answered. "I find myself at a loss. I usually take the time to learn about any human who has the smallest smattering of intelligence. Yet I am not familiar with a Darcia."

At this, however, Darcia managed a small smile.

"…Perhaps that is because I am far older and wiser than even you, Alucard."

The vampire hesitated at this. Darcia had a feeling he would. But after a moment…he let out a short laugh in response. It was cold and biting, and would have frozen the soul of any mortal man. As it was, Darcia only felt a superior air mocking him for his comment.

"I find that extremely hard to believe."

"In that case, allow me to demonstrate."

With one fluid movement, Darcia snapped around and drew a rapier from his side. He quickly brought it up on turning, and twisted his wrist just right to perform a complicated type of cut as he slashed it up against Alucard behind him. As he turned, he saw a flash of blood red and his blade tear through white flesh. On seeing this…he immediately knew the only reason he had managed to hit Alucard was because the vampire allowed it. He honestly didn't expect anything from him. However, he knew shortly thereafter…he had just demonstrated something to Alucard that would ensure he wouldn't allow Darcia any further breaks.

The vampire made a delayed step back, calmly doing so when he did. His face never showed the slightest change of emotion. Soon, Darcia was facing him, and had his sword up…now freshly stained with blood. Alucard merely gave a light snort to this, and calmly held up a hand. Darcia soon saw his handiwork…a three inch cut across the flesh of it…slowly dripping blood. Alucard looked at the cut for a moment with a bored look…but then suddenly froze. Few things, if any, could genuinely startle the ancient vampire…but for the first time in a good forty years, he received a shocking surprise.

Alucard froze for a few moments longer…but then looked up to Darcia. He held up his hand in front of him, and showed off the still-bleeding cut there. His voice became charged with his strength of will, and he boomed out a command with the power of his influence radiating through it.

"Where did you learn this?"

Darcia calmly looked back in response…and a dark smile spread across his face. He swung his blade one way and the other to throw off extra blood, and then leveled it at his foe again. The dark man had already taken the precaution of equipping himself with a silver blade…but that wasn't what caught Alucard's attention. What had was the cutting style…the Transylvanian Avulsion Technique. It was an extremely difficult sword technique that almost none had mastered. If a swordsman had enough skill…skill that made a surgeon look like a flailing child…then they could make a cut in just such a manner that even one like a vampire could not regenerate from it. The blade wouldn't even have to be silver. What Darcia knew was that this technique was practically legendary, and that only two had ever been recorded mastering it.

And one of those two, who happened to be its creator…was standing right in front of him.

"…I told you I was older." Darcia calmly answered as he prepared for another assault.

Alucard paused in response to that, but then simply calmed again and gave his signature grin. "That much is true…for you rely far too much on out of date weaponry."

With that, the vampire brought up his arm in one fluid motion…and pointed the huge barrel of one of his pistols right at Darcia's chest. A moment later, a cannon-like echo erupted throughout the chamber as a bullet came from the gun and tore a basketball sized hole through the dark man.

Darcia's dark face immediately twisted into sick horror as blood ran from his mouth. He staggered backward and his arms fell limply at his side. His eyepatch loosened and fell off…at last revealing his other eye. Alucard saw this and reacted a bit to it. It was not a human eye at all…but that of a wolf. He was slightly intrigued by this, but began to brush it off. It didn't matter anyway, now that his opponent was dead. Darcia's torso began to fold in half over the giant hole and started to fall…

…But then, it hesitated. Darcia gagged once…twice…and then, despite having no lungs, took in a deep ragged breath. As he did, Alucard looked down to the hole in his chest…and saw a pair of lungs suddenly unfold from beneath the dripping upper torso. A spinal column shot down like some sort of aggressive root and reconnected to the bottom area. Ribs quickly came out from it, and sinews and ligiments began to snake out and reconnect as the organs blew up within his chest, like balloons being inflated. Muscle soon spread out and covered them, and skin afterward. Darcia gasped once more, but then slowly exhaled and breathed normally. Then, he slowly straightened himself, and began to level his human and wolf eye on Alucard again. Then, he slowly raised his sword and, though breathing hard, began to calm himself again.

Alucard raised an eyebrow to this. "Hmph…you mortals seem to be having a bargain sale on regeneration nowadays."

Darcia merely smiled in response. "You'll find I have more tricks than that."

"It will avail you nothing. In the end, you're just a flawed freak of nature. Some reject genetic sh't of a mutant cobbled together into a functional carcass."

Darcia snorted in response. "Coming from an oversized, demonic leech, that really hurts my feelings."

With that said, the dark man lunged forward and thrust out with his sword. Alucard merely hmphed at the notion, and seemed to fade partially into shadow and pull back from him. Darcia immediately stepped forward, slashing out once and twice after him. But Alucard dodged those just as easily, before pulling up his gun and firing again. Darcia moved to one side to avoid this shot, but it still took off half of his head with it. Not seeming to care, the man lunged forward once again, causing Alucard to nimbly flip back afterward. He pulled up his other gun on landing, but Darcia was already on him. Rushing up to follow through, he swept out and this time managed to catch the end of the barrel with his sword. He pushed it out of the way just as Alucard fired, and the shot harmlessly went to one side. However, Alucard merely flashed his white teeth and greeted Darcia with a kick to the face, sweeping his foot forward and catching him under the chin. The man was ripped off of his feet and thrown backward through the air, before crashing into a wall in his own chamber, shattering a light and cracking it as he did so.

Darcia seemed to not be that affected by this, however, and was soon up again. That was good, for Alucard was already on him. Both guns were out, and he discharged both at once at the man. But Darcia was able to run out of the way with superhuman reflexes, momentarily upsetting Alucard's own flawless marking techniques. He rushed to one side just as bullets rushed by, tearing away at his remaining clothes and blasting into the wall. However, as he tore past, Alucard managed to catch up with him again and fired off another shot. This time, it tore into his arm and ripped the appendage right off of his body. His sword clattered to the ground and a bloody stump was left. Darcia cried out in some pain, but then quickly twisted around and brought up his other hand…this time revealing that it held a pistol in it. He fired away at one of Alucard's weapons, and the movement was too unexpected even for him. The bullet connected with his gun and sent it flying from his iron grasp. Frowning slightly at this annoyance, Alucard shot forward again, once more moving in a streak, and backhanded Darcia across the face. The man was once again sent flying across the room and into a nearby wall. This time, he also caught his dresser, and the furniture item was smashed as his body flung into it. Debris was sent everywhere as he fell to the ground.

Alucard rushed in to finish the job. As he did, Darcia's side of the face finished regenerating, and his arm also was partially grown back. But before he finished, he swept out his severed stump…and to Alucard's surprise, two long, vine-like tendrils seemed to shoot out of it. Far from being mere loose bits of weapons, the tendrils were flung over to his silver sword, still laying on the ground. Immediately, they encircled the end, and a moment later Darcia cracked his arm back and flung the sword like a spear at Alucard's head. The vampire was surprised at this move, and quickly moved to one side to avoid it. The blade still slashed through his coat and shoulder, however, before sailing across the room and embedding in the wall. It was his gun-arm that was affected, and so he was again stunned. Darcia brought up his gun in his other hand to shoot once more, and Alucard needed only a fraction of a second to deduce that he had to be using silver bullets. But he never got a chance to fire. At once, Alucard shot forward and was on him again. He seized that arm with one of his own iron-grip hands, twisted it to break it, smashed it forward in his own face to give Darcia more pain and cause him to drop his weapon, and then violently flung the man over his shoulder and across the room. He landed on his bed a moment later, and the force of impact caused him to smash it entirely.

A lull in the battle followed. Darcia's arm finished regenerating, but he was slowing down. With a groan, he slowly rolled over and began to rise up off the wreckage of his bed, this time on all fours. Alucard calmly blew off the end of his remaining weapon, and then aimed it at the fallen man.

"I'll say you're more stimulating that most of the mortals I kill." He addressed him. "But ultimately, you're all too easy. And now, you have no weapon."

Darcia gasped and struggled to gain his breath for a moment. He was unable to move or respond to Alucard's claims, for he was genuinely growing tired. But then, after calming down, he sneered and looked up to Alucard. His eyes flashed dangerously. A wild, mad grin spread over his face and he clenched his teeth primally.

"I _am_ a weapon!"

At that, Darcia suddenly began to change. His face started to enlongate. His back seemed to extend. His back legs cracked and bent backward. His carpals and tarsals lengthened, shredding his gloves and boots save for the middle portion. He grunted and groaned and strained under this, as if in great pain. But it also looked like a moment of release and ecstasy for him…as if he had been wanting to do this for some time now. His nails lengthened to claws. His teeth grew and sharpened to accommodate his mouth. His flesh seared off of his body, revealing a long black fur coat underneath. Soon, the only part that remained was his human eye and wolf eye. Only now…they had switched the designation of being out of place.

Darcia had turned into a wolf. A very large and dangerous looking one, too. Far more feral and fearsome than any nightmare or children's horror story could possibly make one. Far more wild and vicious and primal. It was like nature's wraith personified…only it also beamed with an inner wisdom, authority, and knowledge as well. It looked like the supreme king of nature, a child of the ancient world that was untouched by man. It was magnificent and beautiful as well as horrible and fearsome.

Alucard was not impressed.

"A werewolf." Alucard snorted. "A simple Greek myth come to life. A stinking mongrel that excels in consuming its own feces. No matter how fierce you make yourself, you are still a creature of nature. I…am a creature of darkness."

To accent this, Alucard calmly tossed his gun to one side. Then, he willingly threw himself down on all fours as well. Moments later…his coat was ripped apart as his back dramatically lengthened. His hands and feet became ulnagrade as well, and his legs bent inward too. His face began to twist and deform…but far worse than Darcia's had. His mouth seemed to unhinge and pop open to accommodate the amount of drooling, saber-like teeth that filled it. The skin on his skull split and opened, and four more eyes sprung out, two above and two below his current pair. His face was warped into a hideous grimace, becoming not that of any wolf or dog but more like the demon hellhounds on Chinese statues. His sickly white skin sprouted an equally pale and sickly-looking fur coat.

Soon, what stood before Darcia was not a wolf like himself, but some sort of demonic beast. A fearsome and hideous monstrosity that was neither natural nor magestic. It was a beast of fear and death and chaos, not something that could be born or exist with any life. It was all the ferocity and wickedness of the natural order perverted into one being.

…And it was exactly what Darcia was waiting for.

Immediately, his wolf body crossed one paw over on top of the other, pressing a switch on the remaining rags clinging to his arm. Immediately, the previously dark and empty room exploded into light. Panels slid open in the wall to reveal more lights, in addition to the existing ones blazing in full glory. In an instant, the entire room was bright and shining, and all the darkness and shadow was driven away. To this, the hellhound seemed to sneer and recoil, as if it had been confronted with fire. It looked around and foamed and growled at all around it, before turning slowly back to look at Darcia. It glared evilly at him through its six blood-red eyes, and then spoke…in a monstrous and twisted version of Alucard's voice.

_"Ultraviolet lights…simulated sunlight…"_

Somehow, Darcia actually managed to respond…and his voice was unchanged though his mouth did not move.

"Under which…a vampire can not transform. No more shadows and fading. No more guns. Just your primal body against mine."

Alucard glared back at the werewolf a moment. But then, with a mere snort, he let out a horrible, deep, guttural laugh.

_"You moronic fool…"_

Alucard didn't bother to explain himself afterward. Immediately, the two leapt at each other, baring their fangs and jaws and engaged in a violent battle.

Never before in the history of dog-fights, wolf grudges, or animal combat had such a fight taken place. They angrily scratched and clawed at each other, struggling to get the upper hand. Their jaws swung and snapped around, constantly trying to hold a vital spot and tear it open. Their teeth and nails slashed each other open again and again, and they violently tossed each other this way and that with their sheer power. Alucard smacked Darcia across the room with a huge paw, making him yelp as he crashed into a wall. But in an instant, the wolf had reared back onto his feet and leapt at Alucard again. No longer was Darcia totally outmatched. As a wolf…he seemed more in his element than as a human. He pounced on the hellhound and violently pushed him down, and then buried his own teeth deep in Alucard's neck. Blood frothed forth before Alucard viciously rolled him off, sprung to his feet, and violently clawed at Darcia's face, covering it with scratches and blood. This was before Darcia roared, shook it off, and then brought his jaws down to rip one of Alucard's claws from his hand. And so they went on, smacking each other aside, smashing their bodies into everything, bathing their fur coats in blood, and tearing up what was left of the room.

Alucard smashed Darcia into more furniture…only to have Darcia leap up again, seize Alucard by the neck, and angrily fling him into a wall himself. They crashed into each other again and again. They smashed themselves into burning ultraviolet lights, drove their bodies into razor-sharp shrapnel, and continued to viciously tear each other apart. As quickly as their blood flowed, their regenerations refilled them, so that both combatants broke each others bones again and again as they struggled to triumph over the other. Their faces became mangled scars, regrew, and then were ripped off again at they fought on.

But finally, Alucard sank his teeth into Darcia's thigh. The bloody wolf roared before he was flung into a wall again, smashing into it, breaking more bones, and denting the metal. Darcia sank to the ground and shook his head a moment before rearing around and pouncing on Alucard again. But this time, the hellhound reared up and smacked Darcia to the ground with his huge paw, cutting deep into his flesh as he did so. Then, he sank his teeth into his neck, gave a twist, and threw his body into another wall. This time…Darcia gave a small wolf yelp. He again fell to the ground…and took longer to get up this time. When he did, he continued to dribble blood and lowly whined as he tried to get his breath. But Alucard was relentless. In a flash, the hellhound was on him and violently tore a great deal of muscle from his arm. The wolf roared in pain, before Alucard sank his teeth into his neck and pierced his veins. He then angrily threw him one way and another, smashing him around like a rag doll and breaking as many bones as possible, before flinging him across the room and smashing him again into a wall. This time…a bloody streak was left in the wake of more broken bones…and Darcia moved only slowly as he slid down. He whined more now.

Alucard reeled around, flashing his teeth in bloodthirsty victory. Indeed, until now they had been an even match. But in the end, what that meant it came down to was who could keep it up longer. Who had enough stamina, and whose regeneration would hold out. And to this end, Alucard had patiently endured the scrapes and scratches and wounds…for he never tired in the least during the entire battle. But he could smell the scent of hormones being wasted…sweat pouring outside of fur…hearts racing faster and faster…and lungs laboring to keep breathing. He had known the whole time that Darcia would run out of energy literally hours before he would. And to that end, he patiently waited for the werewolf to spend his last.

Now, as Darcia lay there, he struggled to breathe. His body was a mess of blood and tears. He was barely regenerating now, his threshold broken. Slowly…he began to change again. His legs shortened. His face flattened. His fur dropped off of him like a great animal coat being discarded. His flesh became pink and ape-like again, and soon he was wearing only bloody rags over his lacerated and scarred body. His face became human again, and he gasped for air and stamina as he lay there.

However…Darcia had changed again. His wolf and human eyes were gone now. Instead…eyes unlike Alucard had ever seen were in their place. The retinas blazed a bright red color, but the pupil and the cornea were both black. What more, long red cracks…like tears or roots, stemmed down from the eyes and covered his face and body. It was as if his veins and arteries were suddenly showing up…or as if his body had begun to crack and fracture. They ebbed and grew longer as he breathed, and his black and red eyes blazed out.

Alucard glared at his now human foe, and knew that victory was his. Snarling once, he turned and extended his claws. A moment later, he took off for Darcia at full speed…meaning to kill him this time. As he did, Darcia lay there limp and helpless for a moment, only able to breathe and strain. But as Alucard crossed the center of the room…Darcia suddenly sprang to life again. He reached over and pressed another control on his shredded gloves…right as Alucard crossed over a panel in the middle of the floor…

_"Dumbass…"_

…and then watched as Alucard calmly leapt up and jumped over it at the last second. In his wake, beneath him…a hot pit opened up. Heat radiated off of it, and immediately set the surrounding flammable items on fire from the amount that was in it. The air rippled fiercely above it. Swirling beneath that opening in a large smelter was what appeared to be a great deal of molten metal. However, Darcia hopelessly forgot about it as Alucard easily leapt over the trap and dashed right for him. As a last move, Darcia looked to his left. Luck was on his side, it seemed. His sword was right there, right next to his hand. Quickly, he reached out and seized it…meaning to bring it up just as Alucard attacked…

But soon after grabbing it, a lion-like paw came down and smashed on his hand, pinning him immediately. Hot, foul breath, stinking of his own blood, flooded his face. He turned back with his red eyes, and saw that Alucard's hellhound body was now hovering over him. It snarled and dribbled sizzling drool over his body, and its blood red eyes gazed at him hungrily. Still exhausted, Alucard could only stare back silently.

The thing grinned wickedly. _"Is that the extent of your tricks, werewolf?"_ It mocked in its hideous voice. _"I'll congratulate you on your research. Ultraviolet lights…silver bullets and blades…and, what's this?"_ He looked behind for a moment, knowing he had Darcia pinned and quite confident of risking it. He looked back to the smelter for a moment, and then back to his victim. _"Molten steel with…"_ He sniffed the air a moment. _"…Sacred Wafers mixed in? Well now, you certainly have waged the most scientific approach I've ever had to deal with. But to be honest, the only reason you didn't die in the first minute is because I wanted to see where you were going with all this. Now that it's over…I'm afraid you're too boring…"_

Darcia didn't answer. He tried to look as cold as possible to the last. But inside, great frustration and anger boiled over him rather than fear. This was it. He had been so close to reattaining paradise, and now it was snatched from him by this abomination. He had been defeated by this perversion of nature, ironically in the end. This thing that was worse than humanity had frustrated him, and he couldn't do anything about it…only sit there and await it to finish him…

_Swish._

Both Darcia and Alucard reacted to this. The hellhound turned its head, and Darcia, still panting, turned and looked up to see the source of the noise. As he did, he saw that the door to his room had been opened. He was confused for a moment. He thought he had given the order that no soldier was to arrive until he summoned them. But then…he saw it wasn't a soldier at all…

Kei's confidence and commitment to her original objective lasted only a split second as she walked into the room. But then, her quick-acting brain immediately took in her surroundings and evaluated them. Far from being the dark chamber from earlier, it was now blazing with light and was torn to pieces. Cracks, lacerations, and debris were everywhere. And through it all…was a horrifying sight. Darcia was at one end of the room, only he had been deformed or scarred in some way…for he looked like some sort of monstrous thing now. But that was nothing compared to his assailant. At least Darcia still had trappings of humanity around him. What was on him looked like nothing less than a demon from hell. A horrible, monster of a dog/lion was on him, leering over him as if it was ready to tear him apart. And judging from the wounds all over Darcia…she believed it had to have been doing just that until now. Only now…the ghastly six-eyed creature was looking at her. As its blood-red eyes pierced her own…she began to forget everything else. She forgot the facility, Darcia, the village downstairs, her purpose for being there…all she could think of was that creature. Her body felt like ice. Her movement was arrested, and it seemed a struggle to breathe or think. Yet still that monster held her in its eyes…

Kei's bravery and boldness were destroyed. She felt true, absolute terror. Seeing that thing…made her feel young, small, weak…helpless…like the day that mental psychopath made her have a hemorrhage in her brain…when she felt naked, defenseless…vulnerable…exposed…

It was all she could do to whisper in terror.

"My God…what the hell is that thing…?"

Much to Kei's horror…the creature _grinned_ in response. It understood her…and that only made her feel more small and helpless before it.

_"So, you're this Kei he's so worried about…"_ It spoke in a bloodcurdling snarl, freezing Kei's soul and making her feel small and insignificant to this beast. _"Don't go anywhere. I'll deal with you after I've eaten…"_ With that, the beast turned back to Darcia.

But as for Kei, she was frozen in more shock. This thing knew her… It knew her name. That meant…it had come for her. Why? What was it doing here? What was it? Another thing of a government? An agent? A rescue attempt? She didn't know…and she didn't want to know. She didn't want anything to do with this creature. She didn't want it to look at her again. She didn't want to hear it. It was a violent monster. She could smell death and carrion on it. And it was tearing Darcia apart.

All she knew was that she didn't want to be alone with it. She didn't want to be under its gaze. She didn't want it to tear anything apart in front of her. It was a monster…and right now the only thing she wanted to do was kill it before it had a chance to kill her.

When it looked back to Darcia…somehow, its power lessened. Kei felt like she could move again, and her numbing, paralyzing terror passed somewhat. She even felt warmer. In her fear, she forgot all about the weapons she already had. Her eyes were instead locked on the beast in front of her…the horrible nightmarish creature that froze her soul and looked like it would devour her just by looking at her. And now, it was about to kill Darcia. It wasn't that she cared too much for Darcia…but she didn't want to see that thing kill anyone. She didn't want to see what it would do…and she didn't want to be alone with it once he was dead. And so, she moved. She forgot about her guns…but somehow, on the floor at her feet, the corner of her vision caught a pistol.

Kei was powerless to move for a moment. She couldn't react to this thing. She could only watch helplessly as it went about its work. She felt too small and defenseless against it. But somehow, her will kicked in. She screamed at herself to snap out of it. She wrestled with control for her mind and won, and forced her body to act. In a flash of practiced movement…for she could have never done it otherwise…her foot lashed out, hooked the pistol, kicked up, and threw it into her arms. Somehow, she forced her hand out to grab it, and once she had the weapon, she quickly aimed at the hellhound's back and fired.

Much to Kei's mounting horror…the creature seemed to know exactly what she would do before she did it. It simply shifted to one side…and let the bullet sail harmlessly past. However…it did not leave her so easily. Abruptly, the creature turned completely around and faced Kei. Its red eyes pierced her…and immediately she felt herself imprisoned by its glare. Her body froze. Everything outside and inside her seemed to stop, and she was powerless to move…to breathe…to think…

_"That was a bad decision, bitch."_

Kei couldn't reply. She couldn't even move her lungs. Her body had turned to cold stone. The world around her began to grow dark. Everything faded, and at once she felt herself drawn solely into the eyes of the monster. She was powerless to look away. All thoughts of resisting and formulating her own strong spirit were destroyed as fear completely claimed her. She became less than a helpless child. At once…she felt totally vulnerable and exposed. More than last time…now she felt it to the point of despair. She felt darkness come over her, and her body grew colder like ice… Every conscious, cheerful thought was blotted out, and the world around her faded to black save for the blood red eyes. She felt hopeless…despair…agony… She sank deeper and deeper into it, and forgot everything else except her despair… She wanted to die…to end the fear and despair… She wanted the eyes to kill her…end the horrible feeling of hopelessness…

However…to all this…Darcia merely grinned triumphantly…for the vampire had finally made a fatal mistake. Overconfidence. In his urge to punish Kei, Alucard had forgotten about him for the briefest moment.

And Darcia made him pay for that by bringing up his sword, rising up to his full height, and plunging it in the back of the monster's chest.

Immediately, Alucard's concentration was broken, and the thing roared in pain. But Darcia moved quickly. Using his skill, he ripped his blade back out in just such a way that the serrated edges took something with them…the vampire's heart. It came out like a piece of raw meat on a shishkabob. Even so, Alucard's body was soon wrought with rage, and finally an emotion dominated the vampire. Even without a heart, the creature reeled around, foaming bloody drool, and meant to use its last action to rip Darcia's head off. But Darcia still had reserves too. Throwing his blade aside, and giving a victorious yell of his own, he threw himself into the creature as hard as he could as it turned and reared up to give him a fatal blow. Alucard, already weakened…was unable to keep his balance. The force struck him, and soon he fell back…right into the still-open smelter.

Moments later, the hellhound was sinking into the molten silver. Despite the horrible injury…despite the blood now flowing freely from it…the thing fought on. Madly, it clawed its way out from the silver even as it seared itself into its fur and flesh…even as it ripped off his skin from his efforts to get rid of it. For a moment, the thing looked like it might succeed. Time and time again, it brought it claws up and grasped the edge of the lid…and began to pull its horribly burned carcass out of the smelter. But the silver was already cooling on it…weighing it down. And the injury could not be shrugged off like the others. Had the beast still had its heart, it might have been able to free itself. But as so, it was burning through what reserves it had left, and was falling into a vampire's state of suspended animation. At last, it could fight no more…and slowly its claws slid off, raking into the steel as it did so, and its body fell into the smelter. The churning actions of the machinery soon stirred its entire body in with the rest of the steel, and soon it was lost within the metal.

Darcia was still gaping, and barely able to keep from shaking. But he did grin in triumph of what he had done. He pressed the button again on his glove, and slowly the smelter slid shut again. Silence lasted for a moment. He had a chance to slowly regain his composure at last. The room already felt warmer and lighter…and so he soon shut off the ultraviolet lights as well. The room was returned to its former dim state. He looked over it, seeing it was in ruins. In the silence, a few last pieces of debris settled, falling off of precarious positions. But after surveying this, he finally looked back to Kei.

Kei's eyes were wide with fear, still trying to recover from the terror that was Alucard. She breathed and gasped now, for in her fear she had forgotten how to and now was like a half-drowned victim. She was crouched to the ground and clutching her chest, for her heart had started to beat again as well. Darcia looked over her for a moment, calmly regaining his own composure and watching her. At last, however, he stopped breathing, and she too calmed down and looked up to him.

"What…was that thing…?"

Darcia was still in pain and a bit on edge, but he had managed to return to his old emotions now, despite his still altered appearance. "A very old vampire." He responded. "And a member of the British government's Hellsing Organization. They've been using him to hunt his own kind in England. Now, it appears…they use him for other methods as well."

Kei gasped for a moment longer, but already her face turned to shock and incense. "They actually _use_ that thing? That demon!"

"Fortunately, he has an appetite for death." Darcia calmly answered. "And England finds many opportunities for him to sate himself."

Kei continued to breathe hard…but her face changed again. It flushed with anger. She looked back down to the floor, and then back up to him. "They're as crazy as those bastards were with Akira… They should have killed that damn thing."

"Oh, I seriously doubt they would have been capable of that." Darcia calmly answered. "He's been alive for some time. I think they merely thought as all do who hire his kind. They prefer to be siding with the devil then getting in his way. After all…as long as the monster in the cave deters invaders, who cares if you throw a few virgins to him?"

Kei reacted to this with a measure of anger. However, she also understood what this meant. "Then does that mean…he's going to…"

"I'm rather confident that we have him restrained for the moment." Darcia calmly assured her. "The metal he is now being poured into a brick mold in is silver made with holy water and stirred in with Eucharistic hosts. Once it is in the mold, it will be imprinted with crosses and placed in a 24 hour ultraviolet light. I have a feeling even he won't be escaping anytime soon. And after all…" Darcia paused her, and gestured behind himself to his discarded sword. "As he is unable to transform into another body with a heart, he'll be needing that if he wants to live. And I don't intend on restoring it to him anytime soon."

Kei didn't answer…but she did feel reassured by this. She continued to catch her breath for a moment longer. But then, she heard another hiss of steam behind her. She immediately froze, and her eyes expanded. But it was too late to run. Soon, she merely crouched there in broad view as four heavily-armed clone soldiers rushed into the chamber, each one bearing a laser rifle.

At first, however, they didn't seem to notice Kei. All of their attention was on their leader. Kei hoped that this was a result of limited intelligence, but she had no idea if that was so. At any rate, they went right up to him, seeing him in his pitiful condition.

"Sir. We came as soon as you alerted us. Are you alright?"

Darcia calmly nodded in reply. "Yes, I am fine. This incident has strained my reserves and reduced me to this…" Here, he gestured up to the red cracks on his body and his red and black eyes. "But they will fade with time. I trust the rest of our containment plan is being implemented."

The lead soldier nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good." Darcia responded. With that, he gestured behind himself to the sword. "Have that divided into at least four pieces and also incased in silver blocks. Store it on the other side of the facility from the rest of the body."

"Right away, sir." The soldier readily responded. He gave a motion to another clone, and immediately that one rushed forward and went to the sword. Taking it up, and holding the heart far away on the end of it, he turned and rushed back to the others. After giving an ending salute, the four turned and began to make their way back to the entrance.

But then…they suddenly halted. All of their helmets turned and focused squarely on Kei. The woman turned white. She was found out. In another moment, she would have reached for her weapon, and struggled to fight her way out against four heavily armed guards. From that point on, she realized she would have to kill and stealthily make her escape through the facility as best as she could. But right as she was about to lower her hand, the lead soldier spoke to her.

"…Lady Kei, are you alright?"

Immediately, Kei froze where she was. The clone knew her name, and was addressing her with respect. In fact, they all were. She noticed that they were all now standing at attention and waiting on her orders. Darcia noticed this, and immediately stepped in.

"Lady Kei is shaken up from the ordeal, but she will be fine. Carry out my orders."

The clones immediately snapped out of their previous mode, and then gave a nod to Darcia. Then, after turning and giving a salute to Kei as well, they marched back out the way they came. The door slid shut behind them, and again the room was plunged into silence.

For a brief moment, neither said or did anything. Kei continued to look up in surprise, while Darcia calmly stood to one side. They were alone in the room now, still covered with scenes of death and destruction. But at last, Darcia turned to Kei, and calmly walked over to her and stood over her. He held out a hand to her to help her up.

"…I took the liberty of ensuring that all of the new clones would respond to your commands." He explained. "It will make your escape from the facility far simpler."

Kei didn't respond to that. She merely stared out a moment longer, and then spoke of something else.

"I couldn't move… I couldn't breathe… I didn't even think I could think unless he told me to…"

Darcia paused in response to that, but then withdrew his hand. "You should consider yourself of powerful mental fortitude none the less. On the field, he made eighty soldiers commit suicide just by looking at them. That you have not been driven mad and that you are even able to talk to me now is amazing. If your powers had only been properly developed…then _he_ would have been the one helpless before _your_ gaze."

Kei hesitated in response to that. She looked up to Darcia, but didn't make another move. Her intentions were forgotten. After what had happened, combined with Darcia's overbearing personality…she was a bit at a loss. She thought back to Alucard… He had come here. He was supposed to be her _rescuer_. That monster…he had come for her. He was supposed to be the good guy. That vicious monster…that thing that made Genma look presentable… Once again, the world was using monsters as weapons…using these creatures and abominations to do things. But still…why did she try to shoot it? Why did she want to? If it had come to help her…shouldn't she have gone with it? Shouldn't she have helped it, even? But she found she didn't care. She didn't want to. She didn't want that damn thing to live. It was a monster. A demon. And now it was stopped.

"…You really think that I could have?"

"I know you could." Darcia darkly answered, yet with perfect seriousness. "You have a greater power inside you than you realize. You have the power to eliminate things like this from the world, and to remake it into a truly good place. You have the power to put an end to this bickering and war and triviality that goes on in this world. But your power is useless to you in that body. You must become more than one of these simple humans to control it."

Kei paused on hearing this. Again…she thought back to before. She was ready to escape. Nothing could hold her back now. Even the clones would let her just walk out of here. But then…she wondered what would come next. Anything different? Would she just go back to what she did before? Would she just continue killing and acting out as a terrorist? Destroying more lives, and for ends that she thought were everyone's…but really were her own and that she merely attributed to others? What was really going to change? This monster…this thing she had been so repulsed by…this creature of evil that had been so wicked it instinctively made her want to kill it… In the eyes of the world, was she any different from it? Was she not creating a world where this thing could thrive? Where they had need to exist? Where the rest of the world had blood that needed to be spilled and it would let this thing fit the bill? And was that all there was in the end, and history was the only thing that established who was righteous and who was dead?

Again…she felt a deep longing inside herself…stronger this time.

To return to what she had been that one day…

_Something good for once…_

…_What if I could do something good for once?_

"…I've only ever seen this power used for death…except once." Kei slowly murmured. "Once…when it was used to stop a madman. When it was used to protect life… All other times…I fear it. I reject it…"

"Power is not intrinsically evil." Darcia calmly answered…speaking slower and more smoothly. "It is what one does or does not do with it. Those who have power will either use it for good or evil…" A pause. "…Or will do nothing, and let those who are not afraid to use their strength use it."

…_And make monsters like Genma, the Colonel, and this vampire…_

Kei felt a growing conflict inside her. Her emotions were beginning to clash. She forgot about leaving…and now saw herself somewhere else. She wanted to do something true and good. She wanted to be better than all of this. She had to prove to herself she was. But the only time she was…was when she used the power. Something she feared for what it could do to her and others… Something she had seen abused again and again… But…what if she could decide better? Use it for herself? What if there was a way to control it? And if there was…then what could she do with it?

This world was filled with misery and death. But it was also filled with hope…and the supernatural. Kei had seen aliens, vampires, youkai, immortals…and countless other things in her time that she never dreamed existed. She saw the realm of the possible shattered and the world turn impossible. If there was anything she learned…she should know by now that anything could happen.

So what if…?

"…You claim that this paradise does exist." Kei slowly uttered, talking to Darcia as she did so.

Darcia reacted to that, and paused a moment. But when he spoke again, it was with grave certainty.

"…I have stood on its threshold myself. It exists just as you and I both exist. It is no myth or thing of legend…but a supreme goal for this world to strive for when all other hope is lost."

Kei looked at Darcia, but didn't answer. She swallowed. Her mind blazed, and her heart turned within her. A great longing continued to grow within her. An urge to change…to become more… She stared, and finally managed to speak.

"…You were right." She finally said. Her eyes grew large, and her voice sank in defeat. "I did hurt people. I killed for my own notion of justice and peace. To most people in the world, I'm nothing but another international criminal. I've lost my own innocence… I've lost sight of my true desires… I've sank into the rest of this crap the world just tolerates and calls a part of life…" She paused for a moment after that. She clenched her teeth, and she stared at him with her open eyes…

Then, at last, she slowly exhaled, and began to tremble. She felt younger and weaker again, and more emotionally vulnerable. She felt her anger grow at her own frustrations at herself. She felt her mounting sadness at all the people she had left orphaned and alone with time. Most of all…she felt very weak and unable to change this. But she didn't want to be anymore.

"…I want to change this world for the better. I want to do something truly good and wonderful for once. I want to feel the way I did when I fought against Tetsuo." She hesitated after this, looking at Darcia and his expressionless stare back at her. Finally, she sighed and bowed her head.

"…If it exists…I want to unlock paradise. So long as it ends all of this pointless fighting and suffering…I want to open it."

Darcia's eyes widened at this. His black and red eyeballs gazed over Kei in this humble position. He inhaled sharply in reply…and inside of himself a great joy began to fill him. A feeling of triumph and hope…

"…The path to Paradise is one that has claimed the lives of many and crushed countless dreams of lesser, more base individuals…" Darcia slowly explained. "But…if our intentions are pure…and you master your power and become more than just a mere human…if we combine your ability with my knowledge…I am certain that we will find it."

"Then show me how." Kei flatly responded, her tone laced with earnest and determination. "Show me how I can master this ability. How I can get past all of this stupid crap and subjectivity of this world. How I can become more."

A light formed in Darcia's dark eyes at this. A grin slowly spread across his face…a look of victory and enthusiasm. She had finally come over. She had finally agreed. They were at last on the same page, as Darcia had hoped she would become ever since the day that he met her. Now, instead of just one man's vision, they were two. And this time there would be no mistakes. This time…all of the pieces were in place at long last. He at last had found a true ally. A willing ally.

"…Excellent." He slowly uttered over Kei's still fallen body. "With the two of us united…there will be nothing that can stand in our way. I will show you how to properly apply your power to its true purpose…and when you are finished, you will be able to do anything. And you will be more united with the rest of this world than you thought possible. Until now…your body has been like that of a shriveled larva: base, simple, and inconsequential. But soon…you will see what it is to have a truly perfect body and mind…and it will awaken you to the potential you have that you have never even dreamed of."

With this, Darcia again extended his hand to Kei. The young woman stayed bowed for a moment, but then looked up and saw the gesture. She looked up to Darcia again…but her eyes were no longer hesitant. They were determined now. She too was beginning to believe, and she was ready to try something different. She was ready to become what she had been for that brief moment…something truly world changing and peace-bringing. She took the dark man's hand, and slowly he pulled her to her feet. They stood there for a moment, and stared at each other…both examining the other and seeing how they were both of the same resolve.

After a pause, however, Darcia turned away and calmly went over to the shattered remains of his dresser. Once he was there, he reached down and pulled up a fresh cloak from it, and began to adjust it around his slowly-healing body. "Now that at last we are of one accord, we can begin our true plans." He spoke as he did so. "We have precious little time to enact them, unfortunately. Within an hour, there will not be a clone in the facility that isn't subservient to you. But we are still in danger of the Master becoming aware of your presence. Doing so will no doubt tip him off to my true intentions. And unfortunately, he still holds some sway over me.

"But we have greater problems. The companions of Alucard will no doubt be arriving for you soon." He turned at this, with his cloak replaced, and went over to the still-standing bench of the piano. He calmly removed the mask from it, and replaced it over his now-gruesome face. "I have concluded some things about them already. They consist of your former group allies, as well as the addition of a special British agent. They will not understand our intentions just as you failed to understand them at first. And in the time it takes them to learn, they will already have frustrated everything we have done so far, and the path to Paradise will be lost again to us for perhaps another few thousand years."

Kei hesitated in response to that, as Darcia again concealed his features, and then began to pull his cloak hood over the back of his head, once more taking the persona of Lord Darcia. However, in the end, she had to agree. "You're probably right."

"Then they are a liability. And they must be eliminated."

Hearing that, however, struck a nerve in Kei. "No." She immediately responded. "There's no need for that."

Darcia froze once he heard that response. He turned his masked face to her…looking more abnormal and terrifying himself behind it. "…Do you doubt that they will try to stop us?"

"I don't." Kei answered. "But we don't have to kill them. And I refuse to. They aren't all like that thing was. Lupin may be a lech…but he's not a murderer. And D makes a living killing things like Alucard. I want them stopped from interfering, but I don't want them dead."

Darcia paused in response to that for a moment. Kei thought that in the next second, he would try exerting his force of will over her. It was weaker than Alucard's by far, but it was still potent. She braced herself for it. But in the end…Darcia merely nodded. "Very well." He simply said. "If we are to find Paradise, then we must be in agreement with each other from now on. But I lack the power to defeat them all, and currently your powers are still underdeveloped. Do you have any suggestions?"

Kei hesitated for a moment after that. In reality, that had puzzled her for some time. Exactly how were they supposed to beat them all? She didn't think she could even handle one…well, maybe Lupin…let alone all of them. These people were all legends in their own right. They were the kind of people who couldn't be beaten together. The closest anyone could possibly come was having a specific opponent for each one of them that was a match for their abilities. But how would…

However, at that, Kei had the answer.

"…How soon could we manufacture a fully functional clone?"

Darcia hesitated in response to that. "…At current operating capacity, with the greatest minds improving our technology by the hour, we could have one in a single day."

"Then I suggest a special series of clones." Kei continued. "One for each one of them."

Darcia raised his head at this, seeming to understand. "Ah…" He slowly murmured. "I follow you. You wish that we find the ideal opponent for each one of them, and then subject them to it. That could easily be done. The process of IGen copies tends to endow the clones with extra abilities. It would make any opponent that we already based off their history, that happened to be difficult, even more so."

Darcia paused at this, and then turned and walked slowly in one direction, as if thinking. After a moment, however, he stopped and turned to Kei. "I know some information already. You know more. Pooling together our knowledge, we can examine their pasts for an ideal opponent. Of course…fear is a far more affective weapon than power. Disarming one mentally makes the body that much easier to break. So naturally…" Here, he turned again and began to slowly walk once more, and mused as if deep in thought. "…We will have to make something they fear…and make it applicable to them."

Kei watched Darcia a moment as he walked, but eventually spoke back. "How can we do that? These people are a mystery to everyone."

"Oh, I'm sure we can work something out." Darcia calmly responded. "We have clones of special technicians that work on these matters non-stop, not to mention clones who know the best way to penetrate the psyche of a profiled criminal. I believe we can scare up enough evidence to give the clones adequate instruction. Besides…" A pause here, as Darcia's voice turned to a menacing note. "I am sure that Alucard has been probing their minds to see what they fear from day one with them. We have techniques to extract that information from his brain structure, even in the current 'condition' he's in, and that too will be far more terrifying than anything we can conceive…" A pause. "This idea has merit…"

Kei held out again, but then spoke up after another pause. "What about your Master? Won't he be suspicious?"

"Leave him to me." Darcia reassured. "His time is nearly up as it is. Right now, I have an important assignment for you." The dark man stopped pacing at this, and turned and looked straight into Kei's eyes again. Kei could see them burning through the mask…and she felt a little unnerved. However, she still held up.

"I need you to go to this Hellsing Organization, and properly punish their leaders for sending this abomination this way. However, as you do this…I want you to not do so using guns or manual weapons. I want you to use your power. But as you do, focus part of your power inwardly. Use it to expand your own faculties and senses, so that your body can accommodate the increase of power within you. Think more naturally and instinctively and let your primal side guide you. Master shaping yourself as you shape the world with you…and soon you will be on the way to beginning your transformation into your more perfect body. And as you do so, you will feel your power, thoughts, and instincts grow sharper and more excellent than ever before. It will make you more eager to cast off this desiccated shell of a body you wear currently for the body of true perfection. Only then…will you be able to enter paradise."

Kei hesitated for a moment after hearing this. She didn't feel all that well about it. However…she knew she was sick and tired of these stupid governments creating these monsters and maintaining them for the sake of power. She had dealt with it for too long in her life. And so, in the end she nodded. "Alright."

"A new world is rising, Kei." Darcia continued after a pause. "The devouring fire that shall cleanse this world of generations of apathy and wickedness is already starting to burn. But within its ashes…we shall remake a new world. And we shall start very soon."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	9. The Taming

Chapter Nine

_May 14, 2017 – Somewhere over the Atlantic_

* * *

"How long is he going to stay like this?"

Kohaku opened his eyes only long enough to glare down and utter a reply. "Not nearly as long as it will take if I keep getting interrupted. There is much to gather from here."

With that, the white dragon closed his eyes and resumed his meditative sitting position on the ground. Yomiko frowned a bit in impatient reply, but then quickly turned back to one of the hovering screens that Washu had set up in front of her. Projected on it was what appeared to be the pages of a book…or, rather, several pages of several books. And she appeared to be reading them all at once. In a moment, she appeared to forget about Kohaku all together and was happily engrossed in her reading. Lupin looked over her once and frowned slightly.

"You know…somewhere there's a Twilight Zone episode about a nuclear holocaust with her name on it…"

Washu herself was at a nearby computer console, while the other members of the group were lingering about the interior of the Ryo-Ohki. It had now almost been two days since the incident at Washington D.C., and despite having the most advanced spacecraft in the world to ride, they were still stuck with nowhere to go. Kohaku was still conducting his "evaluation" through the paper image of himself he had placed on the ship, but he was having to be cautious. To make the image of himself "die", so to speak, one needed simply rip up the paper figure that he had put it on. Therefore, he was having to sneak around wherever he was on his attempt to find out where exactly he was in the first place. They really didn't have time for this, but so far it was their only choice.

Inuyasha frowned as he leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head. "I guess we can rule out that vampire from calling us." He grumbled. He then turned to Washu. "You know, you _could_ be working on how to send me back during all this…"

"I'm just a bit more concerned about more important things right now, Bitsy." Washu calmly answered as she typed away at her screen.

Inuyasha shot to his feet and the hair on his head perked up as he glared at Washu in unspeakable rage. "Now I'm 'Bitsy'!"

Washu smiled. "I always thought that was a cute dog name."

Inuyasha was about two seconds from ripping Washu's face off, when suddenly the scientist finished typing, and looked up to issue another announcement.

"Well, I'm not sure where our clones have gone off to, but they sure are causing a stir. The US Government is putting the whole nation on alert. Most of its allies are doing the same thing. There's been other military buildup around the world too. It appears there's quite a few who see this as a sign of American weakness. It looks like everyone's on edge from this mystery army.

"However, the biggest thing is that many of the smaller countries are starting to drastically increase their military spending. Oh, it's not too obvious to the basic media reporter, but after cracking into their financial systems I'm seeing that they're diverting a large amount of funds away from anything non-military. And it looks like more and more are doing it with time."

Lupin snickered a bit at hearing this. "Sounds like the US and Russia will come out on top after all. They're the big arms suppliers."

"Ah, there's the rub, my little ageless friend." Washu cheerily answered. "There hasn't been any influx of finances to either of those countries. And neither of their military depos have shown evidence of being emptied. There's another guy who is getting all the money."

The group was silent at that for a moment, as each one of them put two and two together in their mentality.

Washu, seeing this, cracked a wider smile. "Give you three guesses as to who is getting paid to produce new armies."

Inuyasha frowned at this and crossed his arms. "Well that doesn't make any sense. They want to attack the world, and now they're giving the world their own new weapons? Isn't that kinda counter-intuitive?"

"It would be…but only if they were interested in military conquest."

For the first time in hours, D had spoken up. The group turned as one to their leader, and saw him just where he had been for that entire time. He was still leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and hat pulled down over his head. But now, he freely spoke.

"Ultimately, the only side that benefits from a war is the one that produces the most." D explained. "All the gold the Spanish mined in the New World was ultimately lost to their own enemy, all due to a need to pay for their large navy. War has characteristically been a method of escaping depression, due to the sheer amount of labor and finances needed to build a war machine. If one could produce a product that the whole world would want…one that was demonstrated on the most public of forums for all to see the effectiveness of…then they would stand to profit far better by selling this technology instead of bankrupting themselves building an army large enough to conquer the world for them. Our mystery factory is a secret for now…but I believe it won't be a secret for long."

Lupin crossed his own arms and gave a disappointed sigh. "So this all amounts to just one giant money-making scheme? Hmph. I thought it would be something more exciting…"

"…I wouldn't wish for that too much." D cautiously answered. "There may indeed be something more to this. Keep in mind…whatever this is…it has to have beaten Alucard somehow…"

* * *

The silver brick had barely been cooled before the scientist clones found themselves working on it again. In the center of a room bathed constantly in ultraviolet light it stood under the constant observation of dozens of guards. It stood gleaming and fresh from the smelters, impressed with two dozen gold crosses across its surface. However, the perfect surface was soon to be broken again.

As the clones looked on, a large metal arm slowly lowered what appeared to be a great drill or even a needle to the side of the brick. The needle was long enough to pierce the brick straight through. However, it merely lowered to the side first, and then held. As it did, the end of the needle slowly began to glow. It was obvious that it was growing hot as it did so. Once it reached a certain heat level, it leaned forward and pierced the side of the metal brick. It met some resistance, but soon it began to slowly and surely burrow its way into the silver…to reach the contents within.

Behind a plexiglass panel nearby, a team of clone scientists on a large console operated the arm, setting it about its work. One maneuvered it via a small set of controls. Another monitored the status of the contents within the brick with a sort of x-ray. From this scan, it became obvious that the needle was going for the head. Overlooking this process, calm and unchanged save for his now red and black eyes, was the commander of the operation.

"This is interesting, sir." One of the scientists mentioned to Darcia. "The cells appear to still be alive. The DNA sample should reveal some interesting things about this specimen."

"Learn all you can." Darcia calmly responded from beneath his mask. "Then decapitate the subject, vivisect the body, and incinerate each part. The heart included. I want this thing totally and utterly destroyed once we have all we can learn. But for right now, I want to know whether or not we can obtain anything useful from the brain in this state."

"Oh, of course, sir." The scientist replied. "The IGen procedure has already proven useful in obtaining memory data even from severely desiccated physical specimens. This will be no problem."

"Good." Darcia flatly answered. "Analyze what we are looking for, integrate it with the existing data, and produce a competent memory for the clones we are building. I want these things ready by tomorrow night."

"Again, not a problem, sir." The scientist reassured. "Most DNA between humans, or in this case humanoid, organisms is identical from one individual to the next. Because of this, we have managed to perfect 99 percent complete clones and arresting them in growth. 'Blank forms', so to speak. Using retrotransposable elements, we can insert the classification DNA into them, accelerate them through the last few stages, and have them ready in no time." A pause from the scientist after this, and then a slight frown. "However…you do realize that by the time the clones are completed, it will be nearly impossible to keep this a secret from the Master."

"I do indeed." Darcia responded. "In fact, I mean to address that next…"

* * *

_May 15, 2017_

* * *

Kohaku at last opened his eyes. But when he did…they weren't calm or controlled as usual. Instead, they were filled with mounting fear and anxiety.

"…We're in a lot of trouble."

Hearing this sudden sound from Kohaku made the others suddenly stir and turn to him. Most of them were slightly napping. It had been another day of waiting since their last interruption of Kohaku, and still he had said nothing. Since then, by now they had all gone about other activities. Inuyasha tried to nap, though that was hard with Washu hovering over him waiting to see if he kicked one leg while he dreamed. When she wasn't doing that, the alien scientist was catching up on recordings of her soaps, and claiming that she invented TiVo in the first place. Yomiko had seemed to descend into a mesmerized trance while endlessly reading, and she had to be reminded to do such things as eat, sleep, and shower. Lupin had been getting a little obnoxious and grouchy, until he was introduced to Washu's simulator… After six hours inside, he came out looking flushed and hadn't returned to his normal color yet. D was the only one who continued to patiently wait, and didn't share his thoughts with anyone.

"Well, it's about damn time." Lupin griped as he stretched in his position. "In another hour, I was going to make sure you weren't dead."

"You'll be happy to know that I've pinpointed their location." Kohaku explained, still looking tense and nervous but pressing on with his information. "They're buried under Antarctica. Deep underneath it. They might have gone below the sea and into the planet itself."

"Well, that was a bit smart of them." Washu commented. "Official division and ownership of Antarctica doesn't start for another year or so. So no one would be around to find them except for a few atmospheric scientists."

"But I know a lot more than that." Kohaku spoke up again, his voice growing darker and more serious. "Most of this time I've kept silent because I wanted to find out what their next move is. And now I know."

"Oh, we know too." Yomiko interrupted, trying to talk to Kohaku and continue reading at the same time, and not caring that she wasn't making eye contact. "They're trying to get rich from arms dealing."

"I'm afraid that's only the half of it." The white dragon sighed, and gave a slight shaking of his head.

Hearing this latest bit, D raised his head slightly and inclined it to the youkai. "…Go on."

"They aren't just going after money. They're going after land and resources. The best of everything. Some of it they're using to keep building more and more of these weapons and clones. But some they're just hanging on to. And they aren't being selective about who they're selling to anyway. They're selling to anyone and everyone they can. They even made offers to the U.S. and Japanese Military. And people are eating it up. They're working on thousands of orders right now for millions of clones. And their facility is so massive and productive that they just might be able to fill them."

Inuyasha snorted. "Idiots. What good is a bunch of worthless money if the world gets destroyed in the process?"

"That's just it." Kohaku accentuated. "They're _planning_ on a war that will destroy this world."

Everyone in the room went silent. Even Washu regarded this with some amazement. Yomiko stopped reading and turned to the youkai. After a pause, he went on.

"Their leader is some sort of madman obsessed with eugenics. He wants to create a world of people who are physically and mentally perfect, and who will devote themselves only to pursuing knowledge, humanities, and the arts. He wants to destroy the old world, and he's using this army to do it. He gives his troops to everyone until every army is made up of his machinations. Then they turn this world into a wasteland, except for the land, materials, and factories that their leader owns. Then he clones this new 'master race' and rebuilds from the wreckage."

Yomiko's eyes were wide, and she cupped a hand to her mouth. "That's terrible! That's genocide!"

"Genocide of the human race as a whole, to be exact." Washu added matter-of-factly. She also hmphed the idea. "Pretty stupid idea too. Does he have any idea what this will do to the population genetics of this world?"

"What about Kei-ty Pie?" Lupin threw in. "Anything about her?"

Kohaku shook his head. "I haven't seen any sign of her anywhere. But considering the security protocol around there…if she snuck in, she's dead."

"…What about Alucard?" D asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Nothing." Kohaku answered. "But I doubt even the amount of clones they have there is enough to stop him. My guess is that if he was stopped, then it had to be something stronger that did it." The boy paused at this, and narrowed his gaze. "…Something a lot deadlier than what we've encountered so far."

Lupin rolled his eyes and groaned. "Oh…it figures."

Inuyasha grunted. "Big deal. I'll tear it apart no matter what it is."

"I suppose we should move out then." D finally stated as he pushed himself up from the ground and into a standing position. "We've definitely waited around long enough. So where do we go from here?"

"There is only one entrance that isn't undersea." Kohaku answered. "It's guarded by a dozen checkpoints as well as machines that are running an automated security. However, it does serve as a bottleneck for incoming attacks, and there is no way we can be surrounded from there. If we went in undersea and tried to go to the docking bays, we'd run right into the midst of an army. Of course, once we're inside, it will be us versus an army anyway. At any rate, the surface entrance connects to a long elevator shaft that goes miles below the surface of the planet. Once there, it opens up into a grand hallway that connects to everywhere in the facility."

"Major targets?" D asked.

"The cloning facilities, of course." Kohaku answered. "Then there's the factories and the shipyards. And then there's the master's quarters. There's another area at the bottom that seems to be some sort of living area, but I'm not sure that will be a problem."

"Perfect!" Washu chirped in reply. "The cloning facilities probably stockpile large amounts of organic compounds, and I'm sure more than one of those is flammable and explosive. The factories no doubt have a whole bunch of explosive manufacturing pits. And you boys are oh-so-good at taking out annoying evil overlords. I say we're set."

Inuyasha scowled again. "We should just blow the thing up and get it over with. I thought this thing could do that."

"But that would get Ms. Kei and Alucard…" Yomiko reminded.

Inuyasha snarled again. "Why do we always end up saving Kei anyway? She's starting to remind me of-"

"Destroying it from the air is no option." D replied. "If their leader escapes, he could rebuild. We have to at least make sure that he is taken out."

The dog demon grumbled at this and snorted, but otherwise resigned himself to this decision.

"Very well then." D stated. "If we're all settled, let's end this."

* * *

"And you still haven't found their ship?"

"No sir."

Sir Hellsing frowned in response to that, a rare sign of emotion. However, she was not a patient woman, and was fast growing irritated of waiting for their most useful member, no matter how valuable he was.

"Very well. Do not report to me again until you have sightings of that ship."

The soldier nodded, and immediately turned and walked back out the way he came. Two guards were flanking the door, but they simply stood erect as their fellow operative opened it and walked out. There was a brief flash of two more members of the Hellsing Organization outside, but then the door shut and they vanished as well.

In addition to the guards, the others members of Hellsing were left in the room. Sir Hellsing, of course, was seated at a desk in the center, in the heart of this building that served as their temporary overseas headquarters. Walter was nearby, seeming to be interested in some bookcase that came with the room. Seras was still standing in front of the leader, erect and ready for her next order, which had momentarily been pushed aside with the arrival of the soldier a moment ago. And despite Sir Hellsing's normally brash and business-like mood, she paused in the wake of this to fold her hands in front of her face and prop herself up on her elbows as she sometimes did.

Walter looked up from the bookcase long enough to turn his head slightly behind him. "Are you sure we simply shouldn't move on? He will come back of his own accord. He always does."

"He's been gone for too long." Integra coldly responded, seeming to be more irritated with Alucard than responding to Walter. "The idiot never did pay attention when I ordered him to report in regularly. When he comes back, I'm giving him disciplinary action."

Walter shrugged and turned back to the bookcase, taking one of the volumes off and appearing to look through it. "It's not like anything that lives can hurt him. Even D wouldn't be a match for him. You aren't actually thinking that D killed him, are you?"

"The idea _does_ seem ridiculous." Integra answered. "But it is the most plausible option I have right now."

Seras paused for a moment, but then swallowed, wondering if she had been forgotten. "Um…sir…"

At this, the dark woman finally seemed to remember the vampire soldier. She looked back to her at this. "Oh yes, you." She stated, in a tone that almost sounded like she was irritated with having to deal with her and addressed her like an animal. "You're linked to him. Is there any way you can tell where he is?"

Seras shook her head somewhat sadly. "No sir…but I don't…I don't know…feel 'free' from the master either."

"Are you even sure he's on that ship?" Walter suddenly interjected. "There's no way to be certain."

Integra frowned a bit…irritated that she was going to have to explain her reasoning again.

"There is no way Alucard would have lost D. He would have followed him anywhere. When that ship appeared during the library attack, the only link to it was to part of an old temporary faction that D had been involved in. He had to go to the ship, and Alucard had to have found him. Then there was the attack on Washington. Witnesses say that one man appeared to destroy one of the tanks all by himself. The only person alive who I could think would have that firepower to begin with is Alucard. It is him. And I am quickly growing angry as to why he hasn't simply brought me D's head by now."

Walter frowned slightly, and was about to protest again…when he was interrupted. The sound of shouting suddenly came from outside of the door. At this, Sir Hellsing, Walter, Seras, and both guards froze, and turned all to the direction of outside. Moments later, some sort of powerful ripping sound was heard. It was ended with a sort of gurgling noise, which appeared to come from the shouting people, and then it was silenced. No one in the room made a sound. No one moved an inch. But then, Seras suddenly whispered something.

"I smell…blood…"

That was all the warning that was needed. Immediately, the two guards took the safeties off their weapons. Integra opened a desk drawer and yanked out a rather heavy-looking pistol. She cursed all the way. Walter threw the book down, then roughly reached up and pulled a whole shelf full of books off the bookcase. It revealed a large, heavy gun underneath. Somehow, despite its apparent weight, he yanked it off and called out to Seras as he did so. She turned, and was just in time to have Walter fling the gun into her arms. He turned back and pulled out another gun soon after, much smaller but still very large relatively.

Integra cocked her own weapon and sneered. "How the hell did an intruder get through our checkpoints? Whoever screwed up better be dead…"

At that, however, the doorknob began to turn. The people within immediately aimed their weapons at it. The door was heavy and metal, just as Hellsing had requested. She wanted some armor between the inner room and the outside. True, their weapons could probably tear through it anyway, but they still held until the door was swung open.

"Freeze, a-hole." She immediately ordered.

The door was still opening even as she said this. It was left to freely swing, and soon it was fully revealed. Once it was, it revealed a peculiar sight to those within.

A single woman was standing in the doorway. She was dressed in light military clothes, but other than that was perfectly normal. She stood plain and tall, but her face was dark and turned into a grim expression. Her eyes blazed and glared at all within. Even Seras, with her own blood-red gaze, was forced to hesitate for a moment at the power within the eyes. They seemed to have something totally unnatural and new. It was as if she could rip you apart with those eyes. However, she wasn't alone. Standing at the ready outside, fully armed, was a squad of the soldiers that had attacked the library and Washington. Integra saw this, and immediately recognized where this woman had to be from. She glared at her in response, and simply gave a cold order.

"Open fire."

Moments later, both small arms fire, heavy arms fire, and fire that could turn a tank into a donut was ripping through the air and straight for the enemy. However…the woman never moved an inch. She simply stood there, glaring forward with that stare. And as she did, each of the bullets, no matter how powerful or large, appeared to sink into some sort of thick jelly as they approached her and the others. They drastically lost speed, slowing down to the point of becoming visible. Eventually, they stopped all together. Their force didn't even ruffle the woman's hair. She simply stood there, and let each bullet be arrested in movement. Integra herself got off four shots…each one in between the woman's eyes…before she realized she was having no effect. As the others kept shooting, she merely frowned in irritation.

"…Cease fire!"

Somehow, her powerful voice came over the eruptions around her, and the soldiers complied by ceasing. Now, all but Sir Hellsing stared in shock at what had happened, at how easily their assault had been put down. The bullets continued to hang in mid-air, none of them moving. The woman stood like a statue and kept staring. But then, she finally did move. Slowly, she raised a hand into the air and then pointed down with one finger. When she did, all of the shells and bullets fell to the ground like so many marbles dumped out of a bucket. Then, she made a simple cutting motion through the air.

Both guards and Seras gave a mild cry as their weapons immediately were shattered as they hung in their hands. Walter and Hellsing's weapons also shattered, but Walter was far more controlled, and Integra merely grit her teeth for a moment as her pistol exploded in her hand. Soon, pieces of metal were raining down around each of them, and they were all unarmed. As for the woman, she slowly put her arm back down to her side, but continued to glare forward.

"…Which one of you is Sir Hellsing?"

The five were frozen for a moment in surprise at this. However, the two soldiers didn't last long at that. In a flash, both drew their combat knives and charged the woman as one, meaning to do one of the military quick-killing strokes. In response, without looking up…although tensing her face a bit to do it…the woman seemed to invisibly throw both men away from her, and smash them into the wall on either side with enough force to put them part of the way through it. As they groaned and slumped to the ground, the woman took one step in. Seras, quite shocked at this point, took a step back.

"…I won't ask again."

Integra merely glared back in reply. She was the kind of woman who wouldn't let the devil himself intimidate her. "Who the hell are you, and what do you want, before I have you arrested for about 20 international law violations?"

"I want to know just who the hell sent that vampire freak after me." The woman responded.

To this, the conscious people in the room gave pause for a moment. This was unexpected. Sir Hellsing raised her eyebrows for a moment. "Are you talking about Alucard?"

"Did you send him after me!" The woman yelled back, growing impatient as well. When she did, Integra snapped back for a moment…for her glasses abruptly cracked. One of the shelves of the bookcase cracked, and the contents were dropped down on the area below.

"What have you done to the master?" Seras suddenly interrupted. "And what are you anyway? You're not a vampire…"

"I'm going to count to three…" The woman darkly uttered, seeming to grow very angry. "Then I'm going to _make_ you tell me."

At this, however, Sir Hellsing suddenly blinked once, and then leaned forward. "Now I recognize you…!" She stated aloud. "You were in that file! You were part of the group with D! You're that terrorist spy, Kei!"

"One…"

"Did you see him? Where is he now?"

"Two…"

Integra sighed and rolled her eyes. She wasn't one to be bullied, and she wasn't afraid of this woman, especially since she was nothing more than some cowardly terrorist. But this wouldn't get her any information. "Fine. I didn't send him after you. So stop with the countdown."

Kei hesitated a moment, but then she did as she was told. "…So he was under you."

"He _is_ under me." Integra flatly answered. "Now what the hell are you doing here? And why do you even know about him? Did you see him? Why was he after you?"

"Where is he?" Seras asked. "If you saw him, what is he doing?"

"Hopefully, he's dead by now." Kei finally answered. "He looked pretty dead when we finished with him."

Seras' own red eyes expanded on hearing that, and she gave a slight gasp. Sir Hellsing snorted. "Bullsh't. You couldn't kill him."

"I guess you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Kei darkly answered. Her voice grew darker and angrier. "You'd know all about him. I'm sure that's why you use him. Because you think he'll just make another ideal weapon. You never consider what you're doing. You never think about what could happen. You could have destroyed that thing, but you didn't, because you wanted to use it as a weapon. You knew how evil it was, and yet you let it live. You thought it would give you an edge. You thought you could control it. You don't care how many people get in the way, or what he might end up doing one day, because he's serving your needs now. You irresponsible little…"

"I'll have you know that he's saved far more human lives than his collateral damage by the targets he destroyed." Integra snapped back.

Kei tightened her hands into fists. "Collateral damage… That's all it is to you. That's all it is when one of these freaks goes on a rampant killing spree…some personal vendetta…some power trip… At the end of the day, if you get it back, you're willing to accept the losses…"

Sir Hellsing snorted at this. "_You're_ going to tutor _me_ on 'collateral damage'? And I'm sure you'd know all about it, _terrorist._"

"I've paid for my mistakes a hundred times over and learned from them." Kei answered coldly. "…And now you will too."

With that, Kei began to walk forward. As she did, she raised both of her arms and pushed the air to either side. When she did, Walter was suddenly ripped off of his feet by an invisible force and thrown violently into the bookcase, smashing it. He then fell to the ground, and the books and bits of shelf collapsed onto him. Seras was pushed away for a moment…but unlike Walter was not pushed aside. Rather, she was stronger and held her ground. And once Kei was done pushing, she stepped back in front of the approaching woman. Kei halted, and stared right into the vampire's blood red eyes.

"Get back!" The soldier ordered.

Kei looked at the woman for a moment. Her eyes seemed to trace her features…and it looked as if she was figuring something out. As for Seras, she looked confused at this for a moment. But then, she suddenly turned her head a bit, as if she had some sort of pain in her head. She winced a bit in response, but soon it stopped, and both she and Kei looked at each other again.

"…You're not like him...not completely...yet." Kei spoke, seeming to almost be surprised by this revelation. "…Get back. I don't want to hurt you. Maybe if I can become stronger, I can help you…"

"I don't want to hurt you either, lady." Seras simply responded, but did not move. As she did, her red eyes blazed. Her teeth began to extend. But she also grew nervous. She felt her bloodlust mounting. She felt that horrible hunger growing inside of her. Her vampire side wanted her to not only savagely attack this woman, but to drain her dry. This close to a conflict, it was taking quite a bit to hold it back…and bringing up her fears…

Kei seemed to react to this. She looked up over the young vampire…and seemed to examine her again. Once more, Seras grit her teeth and winced. She pulled her head back and shook it.

"What…what are you doing to me?"

"…I…I don't want to do this…"

"Why are…my head…"

"Don't make me do it, Seras. I'll do it. Please."

"How do you know my name? Get back…stop it!"

"…Then I have no choice."

Abruptly, Kei clenched her teeth and focused her full stare in on Seras. She pierced the vampire's eyes with her own gaze. But immediately, Seras' own powerful eyes were shattered and reduced to nothing before the sudden power of Kei. The spy strained and sweat. She balled her hands into fists and seemed to be struggling to do this. But she was doing it. An invisible force suddenly dipped deep into Seras' mind. It pierced through her lack of defenses and went deep inside…deep down into the depths of memory…and into the most primal part…the most hidden of all places. Here…she found her worst fear. But as it came out, she did not give her the "protection" of passion or bloodlust. She let the human part of her brain feel it to the fullest...like Dr. Jekyll being forced to sit down to a lunch with Mr. hyde...

_Blood…_

_Just break their necks and knock it back…_

_More…_

_FEED_

_Bride…_

_Shut your eyes…_

_One of us…_

_HUNGER_

_Blood…_

_Foaming…_

_Luscious…_

_Monster…_

_Be a good sheep…_

_FEED!_

_You said you weren't ready…_

_Sticky…_

_No!_

_Mommy?_

_HUNGRY!_

_Is anyone ever truly ready?_

_Sold your soul to Satan…_

_Lap it up…_

_Hot…_

_Succulent…_

_FEED!_

_Demon…_

_Good food…_

_Falling from the veins!_

_Good meat…_

_I smell you…_

_Blood…_

_FEED_

_HUNGRY_

_GOOD GOD LET'S EAT_

_"NO!"_

At once, the seemingly powerful and ruthless vampire was suddenly turned into a helpless mess. Seras collapsed and immediately cringed in a ball. Tears began to flow out of her eyes as she quivered in terror. She looked very small, cold, and defenseless. She cupped her hands around her head and began to scream in denial. She began to reach into her mouth and desperately claw at her own enlarged incisors. Soon, tears, saliva, and blood were all pouring down on the ground around her head. But still, she cringed in total fear.

Kei herself looked over her and quivered. Her lip trembled. Her own eyes were wide in shock over what she had done. "Good lord…" She whispered aloud. "…I told her to back down… I warned her… She wouldn't listen…"

Sir Hellsing, the only one still standing now before Kei, looked and saw how Seras had suddenly degenerated. Immediately, her face turned hard. "What did you do to her?"

"…I…I found her deepest, darkest fear, and I forced her to live through it in the most extreme and vivid way she could think of." Kei responded, still breathless and looking at her. "…I…I didn't want to… I should have disabled her… I didn't know it was going to do this…"

"You psychotic bitch…" Integra snapped.

Kei looked a moment longer. But then, she inhaled and swallowed. She trembled and exhaled a moment, and then turned around. She began to walk out the way she came.

"And where the hell do you think you're going?"

"…I'm leaving." Kei simply said. "…I don't think I should have come in the first place."

The British officer stared a moment longer, but then suddenly changed as well. Now, it was her turn to grow angry. Abruptly, she stepped around her table and began to walk forward.

"Oh no you don't." She coldly uttered. "You don't even start playing this chickening out game with me. You break into _my _organization. You beat up _my_ men. You threaten me like I'm some sort of bimbo off the street you can just talk to however you want. You turn one of my best marksmen into a crying baby. And to top it all of, you claim you killed my best operative. And now you're just leaving?"

Kei stopped where she was, in the doorway. "…This could have been handled differently. I'm still mad at you, don't get me wrong. But I don't want to do this again. Just take this as a warning for the future…"

Before Kei could take another step, however, she felt her shoulder violently seized, and her body was flung around. She was so shocked that she barely had time to be turned into the furious face of Sir Hellsing before the woman belted her across the face. It was a strong hit too…far greater than what her Aunt Chiyoko could do, and that was saying something. Kei felt herself dropped as her head went for a loop. She was nearly knocked unconscious just by that hit. She landed on her rear, sprawled out in front of the officer.

"You stupid bitch… Now you're threatening me. How thoughtful." Integra spat back. "Listen to me you little nutcase. I don't know what stupid psychological kick you're on, but if you think we're done then you must be crazy. If you think for one moment that I'm going to let you just walk out of here after humiliating me and my organization, then you must have sh't for brains. I'm going to kill you. You got that? You are dead."

"And how are you going to stop me?" Kei simply stated back. With that, she began to push herself up again.

Integra, however, soon dropped her again, this time on her back. That time, the world swirled to black for a moment as the officer smashed her in the face. She felt blood running out of her nose as she hit the ground. She lay there a moment, gathering her senses. But then, she leaned back up again, now with two swelling bruises on her face. Her eyes, however…began to grow angry.

"You think you're so tough because you can do some psychic parlor tricks? I make a living figuring out how to kill people like you. And rest assured, I will. My organization has flawlessly killed hundreds of vampires. You think I'm going to let some two-bit little terrorist psychic be the one who ruined it?"

"Just let it go." Kei half-commanded. She rolled away this time, trying to get away without presenting her head as a target. But Integra responded simply by kicking her in the stomach. Immediately, she was flattened on the ground, and coughing up blood. Pain went through Kei's face and gut now.

"You think this is some after-school special?" Hellsing sneered in response. "You're not walking out of here until you're dead or you learn some respect for me. I'm not going to let you walk out of here thinking I'm a twit you can push around. I don't get bullied. Not by my superiors. Not by Alucard. And definitely not by you!"

Again, Sir Hellsing kicked, harder this time. Kei felt the air knocked out of her lungs. She collapsed and began to cough up blood. At this point, Kei was quickly growing angry. After catching her breath, she looked up and began to glare at her.

"You're making me angry… I'm warning you…"

Integra shut Kei up by kicking her in the face with the point of her shoe. This one actually hit around her eye, and especially hurt. Kei cried out in pain and rolled onto her back again, holding up her hand to her face and grasping it hard.

"Oh, you better be threatening to kill me, little woman. If you have the spine, that is. Because if you walk out of here I'm going to find you. And I'm going to make you suffer a lot more than you are now. And if I can't find you…I'll just see if I can scare up any of your old friends. Arsene Lupin. Washu. Kai. That cow aunt of yours."

Kei's anger began to swell at this. Her control was fast breaking. Her one good eye blazed dangerously into Hellsing's. Her hatred of the woman was renewed. Her hatred of all people like her was rekindled. She clenched her teeth. Her primal mind began to turn within her, and a new, greater power began to awaken.

"…You arrogant little bastard… If you touch me one more time…"

Sir Hellsing glared at her for a moment at that. She confidently looked right back into the blazing eyes of the woman. Then, very slowly, she crouched down next to the fallen woman, until they were eye to eye. She stared a bit longer…and then extended a finger and poked Kei on the forehead.

At once, Kei's anger exploded. Suddenly, Integra felt an invisible hand seize her around the throat. In a flash, she was ripped up to her feet and off the ground, left to hang in mid-air. The force soon began to choke her, and her wide eyes grasped for her neck. But, of course, there was nothing there to grab. There she hung, as Kei slowly rose up to her feet once again, glaring at her all the way. She allowed her primal senses to fill her fully. They made the power come easier and easier…just as Darcia had said they would. Once she stood, she released the officer. The woman immediately collapsed to the ground, and clutched her throat in pain. However, she was still angry.

"F- you…"

"I was going to leave you…but not now." Kei darkly stated. "Now I want to hear you beg me to leave. Beg me to go away and never come back. Fear the sight of me."

"Go to hell." The woman snapped viciously.

Kei continued to glare at the woman. As she did, her body began to tremble. Sweat began to pour off of her brow again. Her temples seemed to swell. Slowly, the ground began to shake in its wake. Wind seemed to pick up in the office, and began to swirl around Kei. As it did, Kei herself began to tremble more and more. Heat suddenly seemed to build, and began to come off of her. Hellsing saw this, and grew a bit unnerved by it. But then, she clenched her teeth and held on.

"Never."

Even as she stated this…Kei changed. Slowly, her eyes began to shift in their sockets. The pupils enlarged. The retinas turned color into yellow. And they expanded until they altered all together, erasing the cornea. As her power continued to swell…as the whole office began to rumble and quake, and as the wind began to gust around her…Hellsing saw she had changed.

Her eyes were now that of a wolf.

"…Never is a long time."

* * *

"Uhn…"

The guard groaned and began to run his hand over his head. He still felt a large bruise in the back of it, and possibly some broken bones. But he was alive for now. He could barely remember what had happened. Suddenly, he had been violently flung into the nearby wall like so much debris. It happened when he tried to charge the woman. Some huge force had smacked him away before he even touched her. But he couldn't remember what. At any rate, he was glad for his helmet. He could have fractured his skull otherwise.

The guard moaned again, and heard a reply to it. At that, he looked up and saw the guard on the other side of the room. He too looked like he was coming around. The first soldier called out to him. "Hey…you alright?"

"I'll live…I think." He groaned in reply. As he did, the first soldier turned his head slightly to look around the rest of the room. When he did, he didn't look long before he froze in utter shock. He became motionless while the other grunted a bit and looked around the other half of the room. "J-…what the hell did she do to Seras?"

"Jack…look in your corner."

The other soldier sighed in response, still feeling irritable and sore. But then, he turned and did as he was told. Soon, he too froze at what he saw.

Kei had left the room only a minute before the two guards regained consciousness. Before then, the last words she had said were, "…Never is a long time." That was about twenty seconds before she left. In that time, she once again penetrated a mind…this time Sir Hellsing's. She gave resistance…but her power was growing too much to be stopped by simple resistance. She plowed through…and saw her fear. Saw the thing that deep down inside…all of her bold brashness…discipline…and cold behavior had struggled so hard to deny and overcome. But it was still there…hidden beneath everything else.

And Kei brought it out. But that wasn't enough. She dipped deep into her mind…and forced Integra to feel fear. Greater fear than what could be evoked naturally from even the most timid coward on Earth. She forced her to feel small and helpless…alone and naked… But that too wasn't enough. She made her feel despair and loneliness… Regret and disappointment… Every single negative emotion Sir Hellsing had ever felt, she drew out and made her feel together. But that too wasn't enough. Lastly…she was able to make this on a subconscious level. She made it last. What took only a few seconds in reality she made last for an eternity within the prison of her own mind… She made it last until she heard Integra scream…and then made it worse and last even longer.

Here was what was left.

A naked, shivering woman was huddled in the corner. Her hair was soaked with cold sweat and hanging over her face as she shook uncontrollably. The woman had degenerated into a juvenile state, and now slowly rocked herself back and forth in a desperate attempt to control her overwhelming fear.

Through it all, she kept chanting to herself.

"No more… No more… Please… No more…"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	10. Versus

Chapter Ten

_May 16, 2012 – 74 miles into the mainland from the coast of Antarctica_

* * *

"Damn it's cold out here!"

"This is Antarctica. What did you expect?"

Lupin frowned in response and jammed his hands into his suit pockets. None of the group members bothered dressing "for the occasion" en route to Kohaku's coordinates. After all, they were only going to be outside for less than a minute before they infiltrated the facility. Dragging along a lot of heavy clothing would just slow them down. At any rate, they had little trouble following Kohaku's directions when he finally explained where he was. It took only a couple of hours in the Ryo-Ohki to get there. Now that they were, Washu had placed the cabbit ship into a hovering position over what they presumed was the main entrance.

Of course, they hadn't started out like this. First Washu went into the upper atmosphere and scanned for defenses. They expected some batteries or troops guarding the place, and perhaps a few radar stations to take out. What they got, however, was a big surprise. There was nothing. No scans, no bullets, no rockets…not a thing. True, Washu had the stealth mode up on Ryo-Ohki, but for there to be actually _nothing_ out there, not even things that would normally be there if there was an attack or not, was weird. D, looking over this, grew somewhat unnerved. The optimistic response to this was that the enemy was so certain of its secrecy that it didn't both putting up any defenses. This was also a far too optimistic response for D. More likely, in his experience…they had something else in mind.

With the ground clear, they had lowered themselves and were ready to drop out. From up above, the area looked to be mostly snowdrifts and barren wastes. But from this close to the ground, it was obvious that one of the snowdrifts wasn't a mound at all, but was rather some sort of bunker. It was half buried right now, but from their position, in the bright light of day, it was easy to see a large set of metal double doors, slammed shut and partially iced over. The group now stood before this on the Ryo-Ohki, taking it in and marveling a bit at how easy this was.

"I'll be tagging along this time." Washu cheerily spoke from D's side. "After all, I can't let you guys have all the fun."

"I'll go in first." Kohaku offered. "It looks like an ambush. I can throw up a shield. Or make us invisible, if you like."

Inuyasha snorted. "I still say we should just blast this place from the sky… I can't even use Tetsusaiga in this human infested generation…"

Yomiko's teeth started to chatter at this point, and she tightly wrapped her coat around her. "C-C-Can we g-g-go in now?"

Inuyasha looked at her and snorted again. "Stupid thin-blooded humans…" He remarked…as he himself shivered slightly. In reality, he had never been anywhere this cold, and a flame-resistant kimono wasn't exactly that good at keeping out cold weather.

"We've wasted enough time." D finally stated. "Let's go."

With that, the dhampire leapt off the edge of the craft and began to walk forward. The others soon followed suit, the more thin-skinned ones chattering and wrapping their arms around themselves as they did. D drew his nodachi as he approached. If the doors didn't open, he planned to cut his way in. If they did open, he expected a rather large company ready to fight. Either way he had to have his sword out. The entrance wasn't far, but it still seemed to take forever to crunch through the snow to the double doors. Once they were all out, Ryo-Ohki leveled off and began to fly back into the sky. With her gone, the others were left on their own walking forward to the entrance.

The group was nearly to it when suddenly the sounds of machinery firing up went off. The door in front of them shuddered and shed frost. Immediately, the group reacted. They drew their weapons and prepared for a fight. Kohaku prepared to bring a shield in front of all of them. They were already primed for combat when the door actually began to slide open. It was very slow when it did so. But as it did, the darkened chamber within became illuminated. Industrial lights flickered on and showed the metal interior. It was indeed an entrance, because it showed lines of metal and conduits and pipes throughout the inside of this alleged snow mound. But there wasn't a living soul inside. Not so much as one guard awaited the six. They stayed still and waited for a moment, facing the interior of the bunker…but still nothing happened.

After a moment longer, they finally began to relax. D felt more than ever that this was a trap now. However, keeping his nodachi out would do no good. He couldn't sense danger. If there was an ambush, it wasn't here. And so, he replaced his blade again, and walked forward a bit more slowly. The others were more antsy. They followed behind slower and looked cautiously around as they did so.

"Hmm. No welcoming committee." Washu murmured.

"Just how I like it." Lupin threw in with a grin.

"It's obviously a trap, then." D responded, seeming otherwise calm to that dangerous idea. "They know we're here, and yet they're letting us in."

"T-T-Trap or no, I'm f-f-freezing out here." Yomiko griped. "Let's g-g-get inside already."

D couldn't argue. He felt his own hand beginning to complain mentally that D was once again waltzing right into a lion's den. He couldn't disagree to that. However, it came with the vampire territory more often than not. Their kind hadn't been alive for hundreds of years just to be forced into playing your game and not the other way around. There was nothing for it but to press on. And to D, the same worked here. It wasn't like they had any other options.

The group slowly crossed the threshold. To Yomiko and Lupin's misery, it was just as cold inside as out. Inuyasha glared at his surroundings and sniffed them, but turned up nothing. Kohaku himself reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like some sort of seed fluff and blew it around the room. However, he didn't react to what, if anything, resulted. D himself could sense nothing…other than the forbidding feeling that he was in danger.

"I don't suppose it would do any good to remind you of how stupid this is, would it?" His left hand murmured.

"It wouldn't."

"You should do as the hanyou says and blow this place to kingdom come. But you're too chivalrous for that, ain't you D?"

Inuyasha finally looked up here. "Who the heck keeps making that weird voice?"

D ignored this comment and looked forward. Aside from the basic layout of a factory chamber, the only other item of interest was what appeared to be a large platform elevator taking up one side of the chamber. It lay there now, power on and inviting, like bait in a mousetrap. As he studied this and thought a bit longer, Yomiko remarked out loud.

"How do they get the tanks through this little room?"

Washu rolled her eyes a bit at this stupid comment, but couldn't resist explaining anything. "This is just an auxiliary entrance, remember? The area for the tanks is undersea."

"Only one way down, it looks like." Lupin remarked, zeroing in on what had D's attention. The others began to look the same way as well. It wasn't long before all were gathering around the platform, but none were getting on. They too stared at it, growing increasingly suspicious.

"It could be a trap elevator." D remarked for all to hear.

Lupin merely laughed it off. "No problem. If I had a nickel for every trap door I've walked over…"

Washu merely smiled. "Only one way to find out!" With that, she leapt forward to the elevator platform. Some of the others reached out and winced, about to yell at her to stop. But it was too late. Soon, she touched down on it like a kid on a hopscotch place. The platform didn't move. It didn't even shake. It stayed perfectly normal. Those that had reacted sighed and recoiled in some relief.

"That was rather stupid." Kohaku cautioned.

"Oh, pshaw." Washu waved off. "I've had enough time to look it over. No seam lines. No gas projectors. No sliding panels. This room is clean. If there is a trap, it's not until we get down there."

"Um…so why exactly would we want to go down there?" Yomiko pointed out, growing a bit nervous herself.

"We have no choice." D responded, calmly walking forward after Washu. In truth, he wasn't sure she had been that smart in the move she just made. But he figured it was alright if a guinea pig had volunteered before any of the others got on. Besides…if anything was going to happen with the elevator, he had a feeling it wouldn't happen until _all_ of them were on. Once he was there, he turned and faced the others calmly. "Coming?"

Inuyasha readily walked on. "What's the difference anyway? If there's any trap, we'll just bust through it."

Lupin shrugged. "Eh. I've bet my life on worse." He simply remarked as he walked onto it.

Kohaku frowned a bit, but he had failed to detect any malicious or deceptive thoughts left over in the area. He too walked onto the platform.

That left Yomiko. She winced and looked almost ready to whine at the choice she had to make. She glared at the platform and nervously stamped on the ground for a moment. Seeing this, Washu merely smiled and waved to her.

"If you don't get on…you'll never get the book back."

Yomiko, hearing this, groaned again…but then straightened up and walked onto the platform.

D paused for only a moment, waiting to see if something would happen now. The others also waited for this. But nothing came. The platform stayed steady and normal. At last, believing themselves to be secure enough for now, the group relaxed and stood normally. D himself, satisfied with this, reached over to the console. It was already set for the lowest level. He merely pressed the button to engage it, and then leaned back. The machine shook once, clicked and whirred, started up some sort of engine, and then dropped.

The group soon felt themselves plunged into much warmer temperatures and blown a bit by some wind. The elevator was fast, and soon it was nearly plummeting down into the surface of the Earth at a considerable speed. Yomiko yelped a bit and grabbed the handrail herself. D himself stayed still, able to weather this. He looked up, however, and watched the situation around him. At first, he simply saw more conduits and lights going by. That was all he saw for some time, and so he used the time to try and judge how fast they were going. He eventually assumed a rate of about three stories a second. After this period, however, it grew cool again as they descended deeper into the surface. They were entering into frozen ground and water beneath it now, and the climate control wasn't able to keep up with the drastic temperature change. They fell through this for some time as well, and as they did D began to realize they had to be going a few miles below the Earth's surface now. It wouldn't have been much of a problem for Ryo-Ohki to bomb even here, but any of Earth's forces, including nuclear weapons, would never touch the facility. And if this was the only above ground entrance, it was a hell of a bottleneck.

Finally, the elevator began to slow. It didn't stop, but it did slow its descent. The temperature became warmer again. The conduits returned. D realized they were headed into the main part of the facility now. And so, both he and the others brought their weapons to bear and got ready. If there was an ambush prepared, down here would be the most likely place. Not waiting, Kohaku moved his hands around the front of them for a moment, generating some invisible barrier before them. Despite the lack of a demon opponent, Inuyasha drew his otherwise worthless sword. Finally, however, the elevator slowed down again, and it became obvious that it was about to halt. Before them, a new set of metal doors slowly slid up before them and into place.

"Get ready." D ordered, although they all were already in place. Slowly, the elevator stopped. The whirring halted, and a large clicking sound went out as the platform locked in. The doors opened before them, and all were ready to assault whatever was waiting for them on the other side. Their eyes peered in, looking for any vulnerable spots as the doors fully went open and locked into place.

Darkness.

Nothing more.

The group didn't move. Inuyasha's mirror-celled eyes gleamed in the dim light of the elevator. D scanned the surroundings darkly. Kohaku peered deep into the gloom with his ancient gaze. But nothing. There was nothing here. Not a single sign of life. Just a dark chamber. The six stayed still for a moment longer. But then…D took a tentative step forward. The others hesitated, but then followed in behind him. Soon, the five of them were slowly making their way into the dark chamber. Washu seemed to unzip a pocket of reality in mid-air and pulled out an oversized, strange-looking gun. Yomiko unfurled a stack of index cards in her hand like they were playing cards. Inuyasha brandished his withered blade. They all slowly walked forward, into the darkened room. Slowly, they one by one stepped off of the elevator and touched the ground…

Lupin, pulling out his old luger and bringing up the rear, turned and looked into the elevator shaft one last time. Then, he turned and stepped out. No sooner had he done so…when the doors immediately slammed shut. The light was smothered, and soon the group was in blackness. Lupin barely had time to turn around and look to the opening before it was already closed, and the group was sealed in the dark chamber.

"Sh't!" Inuyasha cursed.

The six immediately expected gunfire or booby traps or anything. However…D stayed calm. He didn't smell any new flesh enter the room. He didn't hear any new machinery moving. Nothing. After a moment longer, however, the lights began to flicker on in this room as well. They took a moment, but as the fluorescents fired up, pale blue light soon illuminated their surroundings. The six looked up and around as it happened.

They were indeed sealed in. The door was now shut behind them. As the lights came on, they heard the elevator begin to move back up to where it was before. The rest of the room was much like what they had seen until now. Conduits, pipes, and other signs of a factory. However…there was one new change. There were doorways in this room, leading into more blackness. But there wasn't just one or any random number…there were six, each one equidistant from the other.

Washu hesitated a moment, waving her gun barrel around the area. The others held their weapons up and did much the same. However, as they took this in, they began to calm down and replace their weapons. Washu herself frowned a bit, and put one hand in front of the large gun barrel in front of her. She squeezed the trigger…and what appeared to be Pez candy was dispensed into her hand. She immediately ate one, and turned to D with the rest outstretched. "Care for some?"

Inuyasha growled as he angrily put Tetsusaiga away. "Great. Not only does he have us in a trap, he's playing a damn game with us!"

"Six different entrances…" Kohaku murmured aloud. "One for each of us…"

"Seems our scientist wants us to play a little door-picking game." Lupin remarked. "I always hated that show…"

"Screw this." Inuyasha spat. He turned behind him to the sealed elevator. "It's not going to be a problem for me to tear that thing back open."

"Probably not." D calmly answered, cool as always. "But the elevator is already too far up. Even you couldn't hope to get up there in any reasonable length of time. And even if you did, it wouldn't matter. There's nothing back up there."

Washu shrugged herself at that. "He has a point. I could teleport us back to the Ryo-Ohki, but that wouldn't get us anywhere either."

Yomiko looked around again at the layout. Each doorway was identical, and led to the same empty conclusion. "…So I guess…he wants each one of us to take a doorway?"

"I guess that means he expects us…" Kohaku pointed out.

Inuyasha merely crossed his arms. "So what? We'll just all go through one door together."

As if in response to that, suddenly a powerful jolt rippled violently through the floor. A tremendous electronic charge was suddenly sent traveling through it, and everyone found themselves wracked with pain. Inuyasha merely grit his teeth and sneered through it. Kohaku frowned unpleasantly. D clenched his jaw but stayed still. However, the more human of them, like Yomiko, Lupin, and Washu, all cried out in agony. This level of electric charge was painful…and near the fatal threshold…for them. They weathered it for a few moments of pain…before it stopped. Inuyasha and Kohaku bent over and groaned…while Yomiko and Lupin collapsed. Washu herself looked a bit frazzled, her hair sticking up a bit more than usual.

"…Ow." She groaned.

D, on his part, turned to the fallen Yomiko and Lupin. Kohaku, once recovered, moved over to them. They were obviously in pain, but the two of them slowly began to rise up again. They were shaking and hurt, but they were otherwise ok.

"Now I know how the Hard Rock cowboy in Vegas feels like…" Lupin groaned, trying to smooth back his now flaring afro into a smaller one.

"When I get my hands on that damn bastard…" A furious Inuyasha began to fume.

"I guess we can rule out making our own rules to his game." D calmly stated. "Apparently, he's watching us. That shock was little to me, but it could kill other members of our group."

Yomiko shook her head a bit, but then turned and looked up to the others. She blinked a few times, but then got her bearings. "Well…I could fold us paper boots so he can't do that again."

"I'm afraid that won't work." Washu commented, looking around the room again. "Unlike the entrance chamber, this place has room for booby traps on a second look. Anything he could throw at us we could probably escape by taking the elevator. But that wouldn't move us forward. However, I think he has more than one fail-safe in here to make sure we don't try to go into the rooms together. Besides, he'd just shock you the moment you started folding the paper."

Kohaku frowned. "So, it's got to be one of us to each room…" He remarked out loud. He paused at that and thought for a moment. "Unless-"

"Man, I don't have time for this!" Inuyasha suddenly snapped. Again, he drew his weathered sword, and primed himself for combat. "The rest of you can waste time here! I'm just going to go tear his throat out myself!" Immediately, the dog demon took off for the nearest doorway, in his case the third from the left.

"Hey Bitsy! Wait up!" Washu called out after him, trying to stop him. Soon after, she began to open pockets of reality around herself, and then started to fish through them like they were drawers. "Darn it, where did I put my voice changer…"

"That's just what he wants!" Kohaku tried to call in warning.

But it was too late. The moment that Inuyasha charged across the threshold of one of the doors, immediately the ceiling came to life. A giant metal panel slid down and smashed heavily into place. It was at least two feet thick. Within an instant, that entranceway was sealed, and there were only five entrances remaining. Inuyasha was now separated from the rest of them.

Washu frowned and crossed her arms. "When I see him again, it's the spray bottle on the ears for him!"

"This is nothing." Kohaku remarked regarding the panel. "I can phase myself through it if need be…"

"…Don't try it." D cut off. "You'll probably encounter another security measure."

"So now what?" Lupin asked. "We have to play his stupid game of 'pick a door, any door'?"

"I suppose so." D simply answered. "Unless anyone has any better ideas. We really have no choice but to press forward."

Washu turned to D. "Divide and conquer, you know. This is just what he wants."

"It wouldn't be the first time I turned what someone wants on their head." D simply answered. "This is the only way in."

With that, D put his nodachi to his side and walked forward. No one tried to stop him this time, but they did watch as he walked forward into the nearest doorway next to Inuyasha's. Once he passed through, the same wall slid shut behind him. Now, two of the doorways were gone, and the group was down to just four members. They paused as well, and looked to each other.

Lupin shrugged. "Well, we could always just wait here. I'm sure they can take care of themselves. Besides, there is good…"

But Kohaku had already silently walked off as well. Soon, he was passing through the first doorway. Just as before, he was immediately sealed in. Now, it was down to three. Lupin froze at that, but then turned to the others. Washu looked back for a moment, but then shrugged to herself.

"Well, nothing ventured and all that!" She cheerily replied, and then ran to one of the doorways as well. She soon passed through, and was gone.

Lupin frowned at this, but then shrugged and turned to the last member. "Ah well. That leaves just us. Now tell me…you are eighteen, aren't-"

Lupin was interrupted by the sound of sliding metal. He suddenly opened his eyes a bit wider, and saw that Yomiko was already gone. He turned again, and was just in time to see her entrance close as well. Now, there was just one doorway and just one person remaining. Lupin looked around, and saw himself all alone in the midst of the chambers. At last, he sighed and groaned.

"Why do I always end up in messes like this? I'm not even getting any money or tail out of it…"

He continued to slump glumly as he turned and made for the last doorway.

* * *

Inuyasha had to rely on his smell and hearing as he made his way forward. It was pitch black inside, and even his canine eyes couldn't peer through the gloom. It was quiet in here…far too quiet. Nothing was ever this silent unless something was being planned. What more…Inuyasha didn't feel too well. He felt something…invisible here. He felt something happening to him…but he couldn't tell what. He felt somewhat strange…and in his experience that meant something bad. He continued to grip Tetsusaiga at the ready, knowing full well it was useless unless a demon came out. He thought of using his "blades of blood" technique in front of him to see if something was hiding in the darkness. But for now, he continued on into the gloom…continuing to feel strange…

After what seemed like wandering into the darkness for a mile, the lights finally came on. Right in front of Inuyasha, a pale white light suddenly came from the ceiling, and cast down a cone of whiteness over the ground. Inuyasha saw this, and immediately braced himself. He was still mostly in shadow…and didn't see the change over him. But it didn't matter. He was focused ahead now…and zeroing in on a new figure that was illuminated.

However, on seeing it…his breath caught in his throat.

"It…can't be…"

Standing in the center of the white light, as if it was the center and source of it…was a gray baboon skin. The hood and hide mask was pulled down low over the owner…but he knew anywhere who that mask belonged to. And now, it was glaring at him far more darkly than the room around him.

_Naraku…_

Inuyasha braced himself. He grit his teeth. He prepared to brandish his blade. Yet as he raised Tetsusaiga…he saw that the sword was still the same rusty beaten weapon it was a moment ago. He paused at this, and his senses kicked in before blind instinct made him charge forward. Immediately, he realized the truth. Of course…it wasn't Naraku. How could he be in this era? It was a phony…masquerading as him to distract him. Seeing this, Inuyasha's rage redoubled.

"Trying to throw me off, eh?" He called out challengingly to the skin, ignoring how his voice echoed. "I'll rip your phony face off."

With that, Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga, and then lunged at the form. The person didn't move or shift in the least beneath the skin. It was easy for the hanyou to clear the distance in one nimble leap. He was on the person in a flash. Immediately, he extended his nails and slashed them violently against the mask. He wanted to tear the face away first…so that whoever it was could look him in the eye as they died…

The mask was torn off and slowly fell to the ground. However, before it even hit…Inuyasha froze. His anger dissolved like dew in the morning. His face turned to fear as his heart turned to ice. But it wasn't of terror of danger. He was right about one thing…Naraku wasn't behind the mask. Someone else was.

"Well, Inuyasha," The all-too-familiar cold and stern voice half-spat in the hanyou's face. "Are you going to 'rip my phony face off', or what?"

Inuyasha couldn't move. He was mortified that he had come so close to tearing into her. He felt weak and frail. It wasn't Naraku beneath the mask…

It was Kikyo.

Inuyasha's lip trembled. He quivered slowly. However…he could smell her. It wasn't a trick. It was her body in front of him. Still…it couldn't be. She was dead. Had been dead. If she wasn't permanently dead, then Kagome wouldn't even be alive in this era. But…she was there…

"…No…it…it can't be you…" Was all that Inuyasha could let fall out of his mouth. "You…you can't be…"

"Can't be what, Inuyasha?" The cold voice snapped as Kikyo threw off the rest of the skin, revealing herself in her normal priestess garb. "Can't be real? Can't be in this era?"

"You…you have to be an illusion…" Inuyasha slowly replied as he drew his hand back.

"An illusion?" Kikyo mocked in response. "If I'm an illusion, could I do this?"

A fist that felt like a ball of iron smacked across Inuyasha's face. It was far stronger than any human female could strike. But even then, it normally wouldn't have made a difference to Inuyasha…but to his shock he felt himself ripped off of his feet and thrown violently to the ground. Pain rocked through his face and one of his teeth loosened. He was totally dazzled by the effect. He couldn't believe this either as he was thrown to the ground.

But then…he saw his hair fly in front of his face for a moment, and he understood. More shock and fear went through him.

It was black.

Somehow, he had reverted into his human form.

The shock was too confusing. Inuyasha didn't know what to do or say. He looked up to Kikyo again, and could only stare blankly. "Kikyo…why…?"

"You disgust me." The woman spat. "You always were just an animal in the end. Selfish and obsessed with your own little power. You think you're so much better than Naraku, but in the end all you ever cared about was yourself, just like him."

Inuyasha blinked in shock at this. "Kikyo…I…"

But he couldn't get anymore out. Soon, the priestess was on him, and kicked him violently in the side. This was even harder. He felt the wind rush out of his lungs, and he rocked his head back and cried in pain. Blood flew from his mouth as well. In this body, he was far more fragile.

"You're the reason I'm like this, you damn hanyou!" She cried in anger. "You betrayed me! You brought that filth into our world so that I could come back as this parasite! You made me a monster, just like you! And now you don't even care about me anymore, assuming you ever did! Or were you just trying to get close to me to get me to put my guard down? So you could get the Jewel? That's what you really wanted all along, isn't it?"

Inuyasha felt pain throbbing through his side and head…but that was nothing compared to the mental pain he began to feel. Kikyo's biting words…her merciless tone…those horrible accusations…they stabbed into his soul. Each one of these things he had feared deep within his heart…feared that Kikyo would have been better off if she had never known him…feared that one day she would totally hate him and see him as just as monster.

"Kikyo…I never wanted to hurt you…"

_"Don't lie!"_ Kikyo screamed in rage as she shot down and seized Inuyasha by the neck. With one fluid movement, she yanked him off the ground, and began to crush as she throttled him. "You would have killed me if I hadn't immobilized you! When I gave you the Jewel, you were going to wish to be a full demon! Then you would have killed me like so much garbage! Wouldn't you have! You planned to rip me apart the day I pinned you to that tree, didn't you!"

Inuyasha felt pain…but more anguish and fear. In truth…he didn't know. He didn't know what he was going to do that day. He had felt so betrayed when that illusion fought him…so angry…so fierce… The thought had come to him more than once…to make Kikyo suffer for betraying him… Visions of tearing her apart in horrible ways… Visions of eating the flesh from her bones… He was angry that day, furious…out of control… In his deepest subconscious…when he had realized he had thought that way…he quickly buried those memories and struggled not to think of them again. They scared him to death. He didn't dare think again of them…for he would realize how savage he had become…what horrible things he had wanted if only for a moment. But now…now that his brain had struggled hard to forget how badly he wanted revenge that day…what he had been willing to do for one brief moment…Kikyo now reminded him. And now…he was filled with terror for himself…terror that he had actually wanted to do such things…wanted to hurt her so badly… The only time he ever truly felt like a monster.

And now…Kikyo was accusing him of being one, and he knew why.

Slowly…he felt tears begin to well up in his eyes…as he began to shake with the fear of what he had done…the magnitude of the sin he had been willing to commit… And now he saw Kikyo in the way he feared the most would one day happen…knowing the truth and wanting him dead for it.

"Kikyo…I'm…I'm sorry…"

In response, Kikyo pounded him in the stomach and let him fall to the ground in a heap.

"Sorry! You're _sorry!_" She hissed. "Do you even know what that means! Do you know what love means! Do you love anything other than yourself! Anyone! Or are you just a monster, Inuyasha? Just a killer who would tear apart his own mother if she got in his way! A person who sees his supposed best friend as just a piece of meat the day she does anything to make him angry!"

Inuyasha couldn't answer. Because he had that thought that one day…he didn't honestly know the answer. This fear had made him doubt himself…had made him hate himself. He had buried it…but now it was dug back up. And now, he could do nothing…

…Nothing but lay there and cry as Kikyo continued to beat him.

* * *

A light came on before Washu. The small scientist, having been wandering in darkness for a few moments until now, looked forward and watched as it came on. She had no idea what sort of trial was awaiting her, or exactly how to deal with it. Wandering in darkness unsettled her. She was a scientist. She made it her business and purpose to know why things happened. When something was a mystery, it made her unsettled and uneasy. But now the way was clear, and she looked ahead to see who it was.

Immediately, her heart turned to ice, and her eyes widened.

"It…it's you."

The blonde-headed Jurai turned and looked sternly to Washu. Behind his glasses, he glared at her simply and said nothing. His face was cold and heartless, showing no pity or emotion for anything.

"Hello Washu." He simply stated, as if it was business as usual.

Washu blinked for a moment at him. She didn't know what to say or feel. She didn't know what to do. In the end, however, she shook her head. "No…no, you aren't real…"

"We haven't talked in quite a while. Not that you ever showed any interest." The man simply said.

Washu shook her head, and cupped her hands over her ears. "No, this isn't real. This isn't real. I'm a scientist. I know that…"

The man merely snorted in a half-chuckle. "I see you've taken to a new form. I suppose you didn't want to attract anymore men after me."

"You're a clone. This isn't real…" Washu told herself…even as she felt her heart begin to race and sadness come over her.

"Or is it because you finally gave up ever having a kid of your own, and decided to reclaim your childhood as the next best thing?" The man asked, perking up his voice over Washu's banter as he talked to her.

Hearing this…Washu froze. At once, her attempts to reason with this left. Normally, her scientist mind would deal with this. However…this man was too personal. Too key to her psychology. Too influential of her emotions. And, like any sentient creature…they abandoned all logic when their emotions came into play. Now, she glared up to him with angry eyes…that began to well up tears.

"…Shut up."

The man merely snorted in response. "I guess you haven't given up that stupid idea."

Washu's hands balled into fists at this as she glared at him. "…You could have told me you thought it was stupid before you slept with me, you little bastard." She snapped…tears beginning to break. "It meant nothing to you but it meant the whole damn universe to me."

"And they say you're the smartest woman in the galaxy." The man snapped back. "You knew full well you'd never get to keep it."

"I could have kept it!" Washu snapped back, her heart feeling cold and tears beginning to run. "I could have kept her! You just had to keep your big damn mouth shut! But you didn't! You betrayed me!"

"What were you going to do, Washu?" The man calmly retorted. "Stuff the kid into one of your little reality pockets until it was sixteen?"

"You don't understand because you never cared!" Washu half-yelled, tears flowing freely now. "You never cared about her and you never cared about me! I was just some great score for you! Doing a goddess really got you places with your loser friends, didn't it? But the moment it had the slightest…the most miniscule chance…of ruining your reputation you turned your back on her and you turned your back on _me_!"

"Don't give me that." The man snorted back. "You knew full well from the start that they would never let you have a child. Do you think they want your kind reproducing? You cause this galaxy enough problems all by yourself."

At the mention of "your kind"…Washu's heart dropped another few inches.

"You bastard…" She exhaled through tears. "You have no idea what she was. She was a _life_. She was more precious than all the damn molecules, organic compounds, and energy signatures in the universe because she was a life. She was something sacred. She was the one thing in this whole damn galaxy that really was magical. And people like you…you just think its nothing more than some collection of cells. Or something to make you look bad. I'm a scientist and I can see that!"

"You should be kissing my feet, you ungrateful bitch." The blonde man snapped back. "It's because of me that the little thing even got to stay alive. You know how many people wanted your sacred little object dead? You know how many arguments they threw out about how good it would be for all Jurai if it died?"

"You shut the hell up, I swear to God…" Washu began to fume…but also to buckle.

"You don't get it, do you!" The blonde man snapped. "You're a damn monster, Washu! You tear up ten times as much stuff as you make! You're a hazard! You're a freak! We had a damn toast the day that Kagaro locked you up! A damn _toast!_ And now the freak was spawning! You were making more little monsters to follow you up!"

"Shut up…" Washu sobbed as she clenched her hands to her head and began to buckle.

"She was a freak! Just like you! You make freaks! _You are a freak! And she was a damn monster! All you did was create another monster!_"

"NOOOO!"

Washu's agony sounded long and horribly through the facility as she collapsed in a heap to the ground.

* * *

"How do I get myself into these things?"

Lupin moaned this to himself as he fumbled blindly in the darkness. For a man so talented and lithe, he could be rather clumsy and unwieldy with his lanky body. He found himself tripping and stumbling often as he made his way forward.

Why the heck did they have to go after the freaky dog-boy anyway? He could take care of himself. Heck, most of the people in the group were some sort of superheroes or whatever already. But he was still just a plain old mortal man. He had enough brushes with death the last little jaunt they went on. And now, he was diving into this room with the others like some mongoose stupidly following a cobra into its nest. Somehow, he doubted that his old luger would help out that much against whatever horror awaited him…

Before Lupin could think any more, however, a blinding light suddenly flashed on in front of him. Soon, he was caught in some sort of spotlight. The interruption of the darkness blinded him. He quickly raised one hand to his face, and shielded himself partially with his other hand, the one holding the gun. As the heat of the light began to beat on him, he called out to whoever had turned it on.

"Alright! You got me!" He called out. "I'm with the Census Bureau. We're taking a tally of how many clones are in this voting district."

No one responded. The light merely continued to glare on Lupin.

After a moment, the man cracked a grin. "Eh, would you believe I'm selling Girl Scout cookies?"

"…Still being a smartass, I see. And still not funny."

Lupin froze on hearing that. His grin disappeared as quickly as it had sprung up, and his humor turned to seriousness. He looked out again to the light, and struggled to see who was on the other side despite being blinded. However, after a moment longer, the light dipped down, and a new pale overhead white light came on instead, illuminating more of the area. It also revealed who was speaking. On seeing him…Lupin's fears were justified. His eyes widened in disbelief…and his heart quaked at the only man he had ever truly been afraid of.

"No…you're supposed to be dead…"

The man merely glared in reply. He was younger than he should have been, assuming he had lived. By now, he should have been dead. However, he looked exactly how Lupin remembered him the last time he saw him…a mirror image of himself. And he had that same disapproving, unloving glare he had always had whenever he looked at him.

Arsene Lupin the Second looked over him. "I see you're still as scrawny now as you were then." He snorted at him. "I guess dad never fed you enough. Or maybe you were just too busy getting wasted all the time to gain any weight."

Lupin slowly dropped his arms to his sides. However, he felt more vulnerable and exposed now than he had before. Seeing his father…reminded him of how he used to be. Always angry. Always disapproving. Never complementing or helpful. Just always nagging him and telling him how useless he was…how little he was compared to him…making him feel two feet tall…

"You're…you're dead, dad."

"Why don't you use what little brains you have and figure it out?" Lupin Sr. snapped back at him. "You're supposed to be an old man by now, dumbass. Yet you drank that elixir and you're back to your old age. And you don't think that you'd honestly be smart enough to do something I didn't do years earlier, do you? Maybe you could figure it out if you did something with your life other than oogle girly pictures in your room with the door shut all day!"

Lupin swallowed at this. He began to tremble. He was belittling him again. He was always insulting him and brushing him off. Lupin tightened his hands into fists and shook his head at him…even as his lip clenched and began to quiver. "Don't…don't talk to me like that dad. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"That's right, you're not a little kid." Lupin Sr. retorted. "You're a big kid. Look at you. You're a disgrace to your family. When I was half your age I was rich enough to retire. Now look at you. You blow everything you get on liquor and women. You keep letting your d-k get you in trouble. And you've let so many people see your face the whole world knows who you are and has you wanted. You don't even have any dignity or manners. You're just a big screw-up. I knew it since you were a kid that you'd grow up one day to be a screw-up. I knew you'd never be half the thief I was. I would have thrown you out on the street long ago if my old man didn't get so attached to you."

Lupin's face flushed red. However, tears began to well up in his eyes at the same time. Suddenly, he grew furious. He held up the luger and pointed it right in his father's face. "Shut up! _Shut up! Shut up you old bastard!_"

In response, Lupin Sr. moved like lightning. He swung both hands forward, palms out, and smacked Lupin's wrist in such a way that the luger was smacked out of it. It was a quick and easy disarming move, and Lupin was so shocked at the speed of it that he was frozen. Before he could do anything else, Lupin Sr. swung his fist out and backhanded the thief, sending pain throughout his skull and dropping him to the ground in a heap. Lupin clutched his face in pain as his father kicked the weapon away.

"How _dare_ you pull my own gun on me!" Lupin Sr. blasted. "Whoever said you can use that in the first place? I lifted that gun from Hermann Goering himself! And you think you can just wave it around as if it's your own little toy?"

With that, Lupin Sr. kicked the fallen Lupin in the stomach. The air immediately went rushing out of the thief's lungs, and he hacked and began to gasp. He curled into a ball and clutched his middle in pain. He groaned there and struggled to regain his breath for a few moments. In the meantime, Lupin Sr. walked around him slowly and glared at him.

"Look at yourself. Cringing like a worthless dog. You were always weak and puny. You were always an idiot. But you know something? That's not the main reason I hated you." He paused for a moment after that, glaring down at the fallen Lupin. Then, he halted in front of his face, pointing his shoes right at Lupin's head.

"I hated you…because you were all I got in exchange for my wife."

Lupin was still coughing and choking at this. However…he froze again on hearing that. His trembling increased.

"Continuing my family's legacy meant having you kill her when you were born. I lost the only woman I ever loved, and I got a jackass in exchange. Not only was I stuck with some retarded half-wit, I was stuck with a murderer."

Lupin was still gasping at this. However, he managed to raise his head. His eyes were still wide, and fear painted his features. But he shook his head. "…I didn't kill mom…"

Lupin Sr. responded by kicking him in the face. Lupin rolled back over and yelled in pain. But over this all, he yelled at him further.

"If it hadn't been for you, I'd still have my wife! You ruined my life, you worthless piece of sh't! You screwed things up from the day you were born! And I'll tell you something else. I'm sick and tired of it. I let you run around and continue to ruin my name just like you ruined the rest of my life. But I'm not doing it anymore. So help me, you little sh'thead, I'm going to beat the stupidity out of you if it's the last thing I do…"

* * *

_I know what's going to happen._

Yomiko had been in a situation like this before. And this was IGen also. She knew what was going to happen…what awaited her. She struggled to steel herself. She had to be strong. She had to remember it wasn't real. She had to be steady and brave, just like…just like…

_Miss Deep…_

Yomiko swallowed to keep a tear from flowing. Deep in her heart, she prayed and begged that it wouldn't be her. She couldn't stand to see her again. She could barely stand to see the woman at the psychiatric ward. If she saw her again…it would be too much. It would break her down. She couldn't be strong like her. She wasn't built like that. She was too soft-hearted. But she knew what was coming. She knew what would happen. She had to resist…

Then, it came. Abruptly, the lights turned on in the darkness. It was still far ahead of her, a good thirty feet at least. But they came on, and at once she snapped out of her private thoughts. All attention was focused on a cone of light that was aimed down and now enveloped a young woman before her. Yomiko froze on seeing her. She swallowed a lump in her throat. She was already looking at her. Staring at her like she used to. It tore her apart inside, and she struggled to keep her composure. She could say nothing for a moment, but just stare at her…as she stared sadly back. But then…Yomiko managed to speak.

"…Miss Deep."

The woman stared sadly back at her. Her look…it was just like that day in the rig. It tore at Yomiko's heart. She nearly cried right there.

"…Yomiko."

The girl breathed in shakily, struggling to maintain her composure. She quivered and felt her eyes begin to water. But in the end, she swallowed again and shook her head. "…No…it's not you."

A bit to her surprise, the woman sighed and slowly shook her head. "You're right, Yomiko… It's not me. They have Alucard. They looked into his memories, and saw that you feared me more than anything else. They cloned me again, and they sent me to stop you."

Yomiko took this in and widened her eyes a bit. Then, after a pause…she swallowed again. With a trembling hand, she reached down to her side and began to go for a piece of paper…

"Please…don't make me…"

But to this, the woman shook her head and held up her hand in a stopping gesture. "No, Yomiko. It's alright. I don't want to fight either. I was a clone of Mata-Hari originally, remember? This is already the IGen me. I won't fight you. I won't do what they say."

Yomiko gazed back at her. She had been tricked by a Miss Deep clone before. But as she looked over and gazed into the clone's eyes, she saw a deep hurt and pain in them. They were filled with loss and mourning, just like the day when her treachery was exposed. Seeing this…Yomiko hesitated. She looked too genuine…too real to be faking. It was a clone initially that had ended up being her friend, after all. She believed her…and slowly took her hand away from her side. In truth…even if she thought she was an enemy…she doubted that she could fight her. She couldn't bear the thought of killing her…watching her die again.

Miss Deep seemed relieved as Yomiko backed off as well. A slow exhale came from her lips, and her arm went back down to her side. She looked innocent and still. For a moment, the two were silent. But then, Miss Deep looked up and into her eyes again. "Do you know what he's planning to do?"

Yomiko stared back at her for a moment, but then nodded. "Yes, I know. We figured it out."

"Then you have to know it's too late to stop him." Miss Deep ruefully continued. "He's already shipping out clones to other countries. Once there, they'll copy his technology even if he's dead. They'll keep this war going. It will be the end of all civilization."

Yomiko's eyes widened a bit. She felt her heart rush, and she began to tighten up again. "…Then we have to stop him now."

Miss Deep sadly shook her head. "I already told you, Yomiko. It's too late. There are millions of clones here. You can't fight them all. And he'll know that I betrayed him soon. We can't stay. We have to leave while we still can."

Yomiko hesitated at hearing that. She stared back for a moment, realizing what was going on. True…that was too many for her. Maybe even for the others too. They had fought that one battle at Washington D.C., but what about now? Without that vampire man, could they do the same thing here? And if so, what about all of the ones that were already being shipped out? Maybe she was right… Maybe it was hopeless by now…

"…We still have to try." Yomiko finally stated. "We have to get the others out, at any rate."

"It's no use." Miss Deep responded. "They know their worst fears as well. They made clones of all their worst enemies to fight them. They can't win. We have to go, Yomiko. We're running out of time."

The girl paused again at this. She had never heard Miss Deep this despondent…with the one possible exception of the time she revealed her betrayal. To hear her now, sounding so defeated and hopeless…it made Yomiko unwell. Was it true? Were they really beat this time? And were the others she went with also finished? Was this trip, and all of their planning and battling…all for nothing?

"Let's go somewhere safe, Yomiko." Miss Deep continued, beginning to step out of the light and toward her. "Away from all of this. We don't have to get involved in this war. It'll just kill us both. I know you don't want to fight. I don't want to either. We can just find someplace away from all the destruction and death and hide from it until it's over. We can be free and away from this at last. Away from clones…away from IGen…away from the British government… We can't win this war, so let's just get away from it. We can make a new start. Together."

The girl hesitated. She looked to the ground and thought for a moment. The truth of the matter was she didn't want to fight. She didn't like killing or bombs or wars or anything. She just took this job to fund her compulsive reading. But she had gotten something very important out of it in the end…a friend. Her best friend. But the consequential battles and organizations that resulted from their meeting ruined any chance of them ever forming a true friendship. Matters of duty and state kept them from being at peace with one another, or even of saying goodbye properly… Now, Yomiko realized she had another chance. And what did she care about the world, anyway? Did it matter to her? Did any of these endless circular wars really matter to her? Wasn't it her friends that really mattered at the end? Wasn't it who you really loved and cared about? Miss Deep…she had died proving that fact…

Then…it suddenly hit Yomiko. And when it did, the power of the clone's speech was broken. Reality came flooding back, and the young agent changed. Her sadness and doubt vanished. Instead, she looked up and glared hard back at the clone before her.

"…The real Miss Deep…would have rather died than give up on the fate of the world. She did that once. If you're not willing to…then you're not her."

The clone stopped at this. She didn't move or change expression. However, Yomiko was glaring at her now. The young agent was not particularly ferocious or war-hardened, but when it came to things like this she was just as fierce as the most wrathful Spartan. She held her ground against the clone, and refused to be swayed anymore. Miss Deep at last changed. Suddenly, her eyes closed, and a wicked smile slowly spread across her face.

"…So be it. I died for you once…now it's time for you to return the favor."

With that, the clone turned violent and lunged for Yomiko.

* * *

"…Just once…I would like it if you didn't walk into a trap when I tell you, 'You're walking into a trap'…"

D ignored his companion. He didn't have time to waste senses on that. He had to focus on his surroundings. His vision was excellent even in pitch blackness. He could see that the room he had walked into was rather spacious, but didn't seem to have anything outstanding about it. He couldn't see or hear any weapons or devices. Nevertheless, he knew that this was a trap. He knew something would be coming for him soon. And when it did, he would be ready to strike it down.

D was no fool, and he had actually been in situations such as this before. Vampires implemented it frequently on him. He had a feeling they would try to use his worst fear against him, unnerve him and then strike. Early in his career, the first time it happened, it had worked…and D had nearly lost his life as a result. Since then, D had grown quite good at killing his emotions. He knew full well that his mother was dead, and now whenever he saw an image of her he simply struck down the illusion without hesitation. If they tried something like that here, he would do the same.

That was…assuming that was the type of ambush.

Suddenly, D heard something. Something was opening in the darkness, and he could smell the scent of one coming forth. His left hand immediately reacted to this as well.

"Looks like your host is here to greet you, D…" It began. But then…it suddenly caught his throat as if it was surprised. "Wait a minute…that's not…"

D likewise froze as well. He too recognized the presence. He knew it the second it stepped into the room…for the darkness seemed to deepen, and he could feel it growing colder. Besides that…he could smell him. And he knew that smell anywhere. It chilled his blood even before he could recognize the scent. At that moment, the hunter realized he was wrong. They weren't trying to unnerve him. They were trying to destroy him. And to that end…they were employing the only opponent they knew for sure he could not defeat…

A pale light turned on overhead, projecting a cone of whiteness into the gloom.

Illuminated in the center, standing simply, arms crossed and eternal wicked smile on his face…was Alucard.

"Hello, child of mine." The lord of vampires slowly slid from beneath clenched, grinning teeth. His yellow eyes flashed behind his yellow lenses. "Looks like you and your friends followed me after all."

D froze and stood upright. He stared right back at the red-coated figure before him. He didn't say a word, however, and didn't betray the growing fear and desperation that was inside him. He knew what was coming now. However, he managed to stay cool and look him over, and then coldly retort.

"…You're not Alucard."

Alucard rose an eyebrow at this, and grinned wider. "Oh, really?" He calmly asked. "And what makes you say that?"

"You smell like him, and I can feel his power coming off of you," D answered. "But you lack the scent of age. You're too new. You're a clone of him. That makes it reasonable to assume that somehow they managed to kill or capture him and got his DNA to make you."

"Well, aren't you the smart one." Alucard coolly answered. "Pity your friends couldn't reach the same conclusions. Not that it matters, of course. I may not be Alucard…but I assure you that you'll have a hard time telling the difference between us."

D knew that already. He could sense the power rippling off the clone before him. He was every bit as strong as the true Alucard was. There was no mistake there. He might have well been facing the real one. That wasn't good for D. He knew already that he hadn't the power to contend with a vampire like him.

"This will be interesting, don't you think, D?" Alucard went on, still grinning at him wickedly. "I know that you wanted to do this for some time. Deep down in your heart. Your one true desire other than exterminating vampires is to wipe my eternal smile off of my face. To make me beg forgiveness for screwing your mother and then leaving her one of my thousands of dolls."

D hesitated at that. A ripple of emotion traveled through him, but he held. "…So you have memories of his as well."

"Yes, I do." Alucard calmly answered.

"If so, then perhaps you can answer me something that the real Alucard couldn't." D continued, his voice actually turning almost curious. "Why did you do that to my mother? Why did you have me?"

Alucard merely snorted in response.

"…To tell you the truth? I just wanted to keep one handy, instead of constantly looking out for a new one. I had to make worthless brides out of all of them. This way…I could have a good woman in bed whenever I wanted."

On hearing this, D did not feel anger, even though the thought of Alucard using his mother normally drove him mad. On the contrary. Rather…these words had a strange effect on him. It was like some black cloud hovering over his head was suddenly dissipated…and at once he was freed from some illusion. At once, the world seemed to become clear to him at long last. A great revelation began to come over him, and he had to pause to take it in. And when he did…he did not feel anger or hate.

Instead…for one of the first times in decades…D actually smiled and laughed at this. It was just a short chuckle, but it was genuine laughter from the dhampire.

To this, the clone lost his own smile and glared at him. "…Laughing for the first time in years, D? What's so funny?"

"…The real Alucard would kill you himself for making up such a ridiculous lie." D calmly answered, still smiling. "He's nowhere near as shallow. He kills vampires who are."

"Alucard" scowled at this and grit his teeth. However, D continued to smile at him. After a moment, he continued. "Actually…I should thank you for that. You actually helped me to realize something…something that I haven't been able to think of for years. Until now, I did entertain the notion that Alucard used my mother. But now that I hear it coming from 'his' lips, I realize how ridiculous it is of him. I'm astonished that I didn't think of it earlier. Perhaps I was still too governed by anger in that regard, that I failed to see the truth…" D paused a moment here, marveling a bit at his own revelation. As he did, he frowned a bit, but let out a slight chuckle. "…Perhaps this was what he was wanting me to figure out after all…"

D continued to smile and laugh a few moments longer. Dangerous as he knew the clone before him was…his fear of him had faded. D feared nothing, not even those that were stronger than him. All he had feared had been Alucard, but now that he knew that this clone was not him he was relieved. He continued to laugh, letting this new knowledge sink in. It was so obvious…so clear. And now, his eyes were opened to it. As he continued to stand…he began to think again of what Alucard had said to him until now. Only this time…he took it in this new light.

By now, the clone was growing irritable and cross. "Alright…enough of this sh't. I may not be your Alucard, but I am every bit his match. You haven't a chance against me. And if you resist…I will simply kill you rather than beat you to the edge of death."

D snapped out of his daydreaming at this, and focused back on the clone. He was right. He had to think more about this latest revelation later. Right now, he had to fight. The clone was right about one thing. D stood no chance against him. However…perhaps this clone wasn't nearly as experienced or skilled as the real thing. Perhaps D had learned some things that even Alucard hadn't encountered. And he did have his left hand… Sensible or not, D had no choice. He had to fight now. Already, the clone began to brush back his coat, and reach to his sides for, no doubt, replicas of the real Alucard's guns…

D brandished his nodachi and prepared himself. He shifted himself into a ready stance and crossed his sword in a starting position. Alucard himself drew both of his guns out in a flash, and then poised himself with both of them aimed up and at D at once. The two froze there, and stared at each other darkly for a moment afterward. This was it. In truth…he had both fantasized about actually fighting the lord of vampires himself for some time now, as he feared the day when he would be called to hunt him. Now, at last, he would see who would truly triumph in a battle between the two of them. World's greatest vampire hunter? Or world's greatest vampire?

"If we get out of this alive, D, you better damn well listen to me from now on…"

Taking off like twin streaks of lightning, the two men finally broke and dove for each other, D's sword flashing, and Alucard's guns erupting flame.

* * *

After being sealed in his own enclosure, Kohaku didn't bother moving any further. He merely sat down in the darkness and crossed his limbs in front of himself. After that, he began to call to mind all the strongest spells he could muster. He had a feeling that something bad was coming.

Kohaku disliked this. This was like one of Ubaba's twisted little games. And he had spent far too long in her service to get any amusement out of them. Now, he had to worry about the nature of the attack. Perhaps it was simply to separate them, thinking that each one would be more easily dealt with apart from one another. However, he feared that wasn't the case. He feared that a specific doom was being arranged for each one independently, and he was no exception. Some unknown terror awaited him ahead, and it was waiting for him to come.

At last, Kohaku rose from his position. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers once. Immediately, a ball of fire materialized over his hand, creating a torch in the darkness. He started it out dim, only illuminating a short range around himself. He saw nothing, however. Just metal walls and panels, and darkness further ahead. Kohaku again frowned. He did not like this. If he knew the nature of the enemy, he could prepare an appropriate attack and defense. As it was, he was left playing a guessing game. He had cast a distortion field around himself to deflect projectiles, a freezing charm over his flesh to avoid fire and acid, and a levitation spell to keep himself from falling into a pit. But was all that enough? He doubted it. However, there was one other thing that could be of use. He was preparing it right now…and hoped it got here soon…

As it was, Kohaku began to expand the light in his hand. He began to take a few steps forward…

But that was as far as he got. No sooner had he begun to increase the light than he saw a flicker of movement in the dimness. He froze and turned his head to it, but it was too late. Thin, pale cords suddenly seemed to spring to life all around him. Before he could react or fire off his own counterattack, the cords shot forward and wrapped around his limbs and waist. Soon, his legs were locked, his arms were pinned to his side, and the cords lifted him off the ground. Kohaku gaped around him in shock at this. However, his mind immediately recounted the petrification spell, and in another moment he would have solidified the cords and snapped them off like dry plaster…

But it was too late. Some of the cords shot out and wrapped around his neck, and immediately tightened into a choke hold. The words were throttled out of him. Now, he could neither speak nor gesture to use his powers. Kohaku was soon hung in mid-air helplessly. The young spirit looked over his situation and tried to think of what to do next…but he was too slow again. Abruptly, his body was yanked forward into the darkness. His fire spell was blown out as if by a strong wind, and Kohaku vanished into the gloom.

The white dragon was pulled forward for a few moments. He didn't think much of what was awaiting him, however. He had more pressing concerns…namely that he couldn't breathe. The cords were choking the life out of him. He grunted and strained, and quickly tried to think of the right technique to escape from this. Perhaps simply turning into his dragon form would be enough… Yet somehow…he couldn't focus. Something else was on his mind, keeping him from bringing to mind his spells. On sensing that…Kohaku truly did grow scared. Only an exceptionally powerful spirit could use their own mind to block the attempts of spell-casting of another spirit…

But before Kohaku could think any more of this, he suddenly came to a halt. Still choking, he was stopped and suspended again in the gloom. Moments later, a white light came on from overhead. It projected a cone of whiteness down into the room below, just in front of Kohaku. The moment it did, it exposed the person who could only be his opponent…and if Kohaku could breathe his breath would have caught in his throat.

The "cords" weren't actually cords at all, it seemed…but were the hag's hair snaking out like ropes and chains. In front of him was one of the most hideous women ever to walk the face of the Earth. It wasn't enough that she was an ancient hag with wrinkled facial features more proper to squash or prunes than a real person, but she was horribly distorted as well. Her body was squat and small, while her head was oversized, nearly as large as the rest of her body. A baseball sized wart protruded from her nose while her giant eyes glared ravenously at her captive. Seeing her, Kohaku felt greater fear than before. The river spirit feared almost no one, but this person had turned him from a bright and energetic young spirit into a somber, hard, and cold taskmaster…and treated him like garbage every day of his life. That was enough to cause some feelings…or rather memories…of fear.

He couldn't say her name, but he knew it, typically, even better than his own.

"Hello, Haku." Ubaba sneered with a wicked smile in the youth's face. "How nice to see you again… You know, after you left me such a nice…parting gift…I've been looking forward to seeing you again."

Kohaku glared back down at her. Despite the fear he felt…despite the fact the life was being choked out of him…he managed to look coldly back. Even when he was her slave, he never showed any fear or acquiescence to her. Besides…calling him by that butchered version of his full name only brought back memories of anger and frustration of the years he spent trying to remember it… Slowly, his lips moved.

Ubaba mock-turned her head and cupped her huge ear with her tiny, clawed hand. "What was that? I can't quite hear you. Maybe this will help…"

With that, Ubaba immediately released Kohaku in all places but his neck. The result was like dropping him in a hangman's noose. The spirit was far too strong to have his neck broken, but he still choked and felt horrible pain snap around his throat. It was like being punched there. As he gagged, Ubaba suddenly yanked him up by the neck, and then with tremendous force flung him against a nearby metal wall. His small body smashed violently against it, and Kohaku felt pain flood through him. He might have been stronger than a regular human…but he was far from invincible. The blow hurt terribly, especially since he was thrown by his neck. All he could do was slump to the ground at first and crumple up on the floor.

Ubaba sneered ravenously at him as she recoiled her hair. "Now then…what was your question?"

Kohaku hacked and gasped. His throat was burning, and he thought he could feel it bleeding. However, after only a few moments, he managed to slowly push himself up from where he was. He looked up and out, and glared at the witch before him as his eyes watered. He held a hand to his neck, but continued to glare as he spoke.

"…You're not Ubaba."

To this, Ubaba merely chuckled. "Oh, I'm not?" She innocently responded. "If I'm not, Haku…then how else could I do this?"

Immediately, Kohaku's eyes widened as horrible pain went through his skull. Stabbing pain went through his head in multiple points, and fire felt like it had been poured into it. Kohaku's mind filled with agony and panic. Immediately, he began to chant the counter-curse for what had just happened, even as he snapped back, lay on the ground, and began to writhe in agony. The spell immediately went into effect, and the source of his pain faded…but still he was left with the damage and trauma. He continued to moan and writhe on the ground.

One of Ubaba's spells she reserved for people she hated was a curse that filled one's brains with flesh-eating maggots. Anyone who didn't know the immediate counter-curse was in for a slow and painful, torturous death. The day that Kohaku had first learned Ubaba could do this, he immediately went to work. Not learning the curse itself, of course, but the counter-curse. He then memorized it every night for a whole year until he could recite it as easily as the color of his skin. He was not going to let her kill him with that.

Nevertheless, Kohaku was in considerable pain. His eyes were tearing now, and he could barely look up to Ubaba. The witch grinned evilly at him, and then waved her hand again. This time, Kohaku was in too much pain to even attempt a counterattack. Abruptly, the metal beneath him split open, and vines poured out from the floor instead. They quickly began to wrap around Kohaku's body. Each one of his limbs, his torso, and even his head. The spirit immediately began to feel fear again as he felt the vines tightly enclose him. He knew this spell too… But before he could even think of a way to stop it, Ubaba attacked. Abruptly, the vines, now almost covering him, sprouted inch-long thorns, and drove them deep into Kohaku's flesh. Now, the spirit did scream in pain. Ubaba relished it hungrily. She waved her hand again, and the vines began to tighten. They became crushing, squeezing the life and air out of him, and threatening to break his bones. The thorns were also driven deep into his flesh. Blood soon began to pour from the spaces between vines all over his body.

"I suppose you thought you were pretty smart, Haku." Ubaba hissed as she continued to tighten the vines. "You walk into my office and hand in your resignation after getting everything off your chest you've wanted to say to me for years, you burn up not only your contract by all of my records, you blow up my vault and scatter my cash everywhere for a hundred miles, and then you teleport over six hundred bad luck sprites right into the best bath rooms in the house. Then, before I can sear the flesh off your scrawny bones, you teleport yourself away and give yourselves a nice big pat on the back for humiliating me and running up millions in damages to my facility. I bet you thought you were really funny…"

Kohaku was in incredible pain at this point, but still, he managed to slowly crack open his eyes and stare at Ubaba. Once he did, he glared coldly at her for a few moments of silence, before managing a slight grin.

"…I still laugh at the thought of it…to this day…"

At that, the vines snapped off, but Kohaku was far from freed. As they pulled back and revealed his bleeding, pierced body, a few final vines yanked him up to his feet again. Realizing he had a chance, Kohaku managed to drive off the pain and prepared himself for a counterattack. But before he could, another spell was on him. A snap went through the air as the temperature grew deathly cold. Suddenly, he was encased in ice up to his neck. He was immobilized again, but now he felt a deep, penetrating cold travel through his body, freezing him inside and soon making his extremities burn with pain. He soon didn't care how much his body temperature dropped within a few seconds, as the feeling of his body turning to ice was far more wretched.

"You know what I think of to this day, Haku?" Ubaba continued, rather angry at that last insult. "I thought of nothing else but what I was going to do to you to make you suffer for what you did to me. I spent hours on end trying to think of the most painful, torturous things I could do to you. That occupied me for months…until I finally thought of a better way…"

Kohaku's teeth were chattering now as he felt the cold penetrate into his heart. If he didn't break free soon, he'd pass out from hypothermia before anything else could happen. And so, he focused instead on a spell. It wasn't a particularly strong one, but it was fast. He murmured something under his breath, and abruptly five strands of his own hair became stiff and erect. A moment later, they broke off and sailed straight for Ubaba's head.

The witch merely scowled and side-stepped the now-needle-like projectiles. She responded by waving her hand. In a flash, Kohaku's ice prison was shattered, but it was only because a tremendous force now slammed into his own body and sent it flying across the room, smashing into the wall behind him again. This time…he heard some bones snap. Again, the youkai slumped to the ground.

But Kohaku didn't stay down this time. Immediately, he sprung his head up and countered. A layer of his skin suddenly fluttered up and broke off into white scale/feathers. They immediately rose off of his body, spiraled in the air, and then circled and made their way toward Ubaba. In response to this, the witch merely glared angrily, and then made a cutting motion with one hand. The attacking feathers were stopped as if they had blown into a solid wall, and then fell to the ground limply. If that wasn't enough, Ubaba next opened her mouth, allowed her massive teeth and horrible breath to linger for a moment, and then exhaled a blast of fire at the young spirit.

Kohaku was struggling to get to his feet by now, but had only managed a crouch when he saw the flame coming. Quickly, he swung his arm out and attempted to bat it away. It was a strong attack, and at the price of burning his clothing and singing his skin was he able to deflect it. Still, he forced himself to his feet, and then countered by extending his remaining hand, fingers outstretched, toward Ubaba. Immediately, his fingernails turned into ropes, and they shot forward and began to coil and contort for Ubaba. The witch seemed to be taken off guard at last. The cords reached her, and immediately began to bind her the same way Kohaku had been bound.

However, the witch had the counter spell much closer to mind. Eyes and face filling with rage, she glared hatefully at Kohaku and uttered a single, powerful word that shook the room around him, and cut through the air like lightning. When she did, the coils immediately hardened and turned to stone, and then shattered and fell to the ground. However, the spell continued to travel along the cords, away from Ubaba and back to their originator. Kohaku noticed this and panicked. Quickly, he broke off the spell, but it was too late. The stone was to his fingers, and now his digits and hand were turning to stone. The spell was already moving up to his wrist and forearm. Kohaku forgot all about Ubaba then. He turned all of his attention to his flesh, and struggled to focus enough will to overcome the curse. It took a tremendous amount of power and concentration…draining what reserves he still had…but he managed to halt the magic, and push it back down. His arm and hand slowly began to return to flesh color…

When a large boulder seemed to materialize out of nowhere, swing in a dangerous arc, and then smash right into the side of Kohaku's head. The youth felt his teeth loosen as he was once again flung violently to the back wall. He was too weak this time to spring back up. He slumped down to the side and groaned a moment, as blood began to leak from his mouth.

"How dare you use my spells against me!" The witch hissed. "You ungrateful, wretched boy! I taught you everything you knew! And this is how you repay me? You're the one who wanted all of this power for himself! You think you can just fling away the one who gave it to you?"

Kohaku couldn't answer this time. His head was swimming. His insides hurt as much as his outsides. The spells were taking a toll on him. He couldn't keep this up much longer. Before he could even think of mounting another counterattack, Ubaba reacted. Using her ability to fly through the air, she lunged at him and soon stood before him. Once there, the young youkai could only groan and struggle to rise as her clawed hand shot down, seized him by the throat, and then yanked him up and off the ground. His already aching neck hurt worse as he was again hung, only this time he was being blasted by the foul breath of the hag in front of him. His face contorted in misery as he reached feebly for his neck.

Ubaba grinned again now. "Back to what I was saying before…" She continued menacingly. "I thought of all sorts of curses to perform on you, but none of them seemed appropriate enough. None of them seemed capable of producing enough pain." She paused, and smiled as she narrowed her gaze. "…That's when I remembered your little friend, Sen."

Hearing this, Kohaku forgot about his own pain. His eyes widened, and he glared at the witch's cruel face.

"Oh, I couldn't do anything direct to her, not in the human world…" Ubaba continued. "But I could do one thing… Tell me, Kohaku. Have you noticed your little human friend grow more distant? Become colder? Seem to not even care about you or the time she spent working for me?"

Kohaku's eyes stayed frozen wide, as his fists clenched.

"That's because I made her forget you and everything else." Ubaba wickedly revealed. She cackled horribly at this, reveling in her triumph. "I took from you your only friend. She may have remembered your name once, but she'll never even think of it again. She doesn't even remember falling into the river now."

The youkai, cold and emotionless as he normally was…now found himself filled with burning anger. So…it wasn't just frailty of human faith. It was _her_. Deep down inside, Kohaku had feared this more than anything else. He feared that Ubaba would one day exact her revenge, not on him, but on the one who he loved…the one who had been responsible for freeing him. Before, he had hated the witch for mistreating him and making him her garbage boy. But now…he hated her more than anything in the world. Though this was his greatest fear, Kohaku did not respond to his fears by cowering or sinking into depression. He confronted them with anger.

Now, Ubaba opened her mouth wide again. As she did, her incisors grew long and sharp, becoming as long and deadly as snake's fangs…or sabers. Her tongue grew long and thin and slid out of her mouth, writhing slightly. Fire burned deep in her throat, and her eyes blazed with malevolent force.

"Now that you know this, Haku," Ubaba continued, mocking him. "I only have one thing left for you. I'd like to kill you now…but I'd much rather see you beg as you used to whenever I would punish you or starve you. I want to see you moan for mercy and grovel at my feet…just like old times. I'm going to let you speak now, but I warn you… Say anything besides a plea for mercy and I'll bite your head off."

With that, Ubaba loosened her grip enough for Kohaku to gasp for air. The youth immediately did so, looking rather wretched and harmless as he did so. However…it only masked the inconceivable anger he now felt for the witch. He had forgotten that this was merely a clone, that the real Ubaba was elsewhere. But he didn't care. He wanted to punish it…

Finally, when he had enough breath, Kohaku glared at Ubaba's monstrous face. He was weak in expression, but his eyes were hard and cold as ice.

"…I didn't just learn…from you…Ubaba…" He slowly sneered. "Meet…my horcrux."

Ubaba's own face turned from anger into puzzlement at that, trying to figure out what that word and phrase meant…

A moment later, her face turned into one of agony as a giant metal stake erupted from her chest.

Kohaku was immediately released and dropped to the ground. He coughed and continued to catch his breath once there, but also looked up and with grim satisfaction watched Ubaba writhe in agony on the end of the metal pole now impaling her. He watched her greedy, malicious eyes fill with fear and pain, and saw her smile forever evaporated in the face of agony. But what more…Kohaku slowly looked behind her. A metal tree had appeared to grow right from the metal floor, and one of its spiked barbed branches was now protruding through Ubaba's back and to the other side. But behind that, Kohaku saw something else. A transparent, ethereal version of himself was standing behind it…standing over a small paper doll that was perching upright on the ground.

Every since he had arrived in this chamber, Kohaku had been calling his paper image to him. While Ubaba had talked and tortured him, he had brought it closer and offered only token resistance in the meantime. Now, at last it had come. The after image had only a fraction of Kohaku's full power, but it was enough to do this spell.

Ubaba writhed a moment longer, but then gave out a tremendous gag. With that, her last breath spilled from her lips, and her body slumped forward, her hideous face still frozen in that last moment of agony. From where Kohaku was, the body was slumped halfway over him, looking ready to pounce on him one last time. Groaning, he quickly slid himself back and away from under the witch. His dragon healing was already knitting his bones back together. It was because he had such great self-healing mechanisms that he hadn't died from injuries that one time he had stolen Zanemba's seal. As it had turned out, however, the sister witch was rather forgiving. When Kohaku finally had swallowed enough of his pride to supplement Chihiro's apology on his behalf with his own, the sister witch obliged him by teaching him how to make copies of himself. It was a good trade, especially in light of recently.

However, no sooner had Kohaku pulled himself back…then Ubaba changed. The witch abruptly began to…melt, for lack of a better word. The skin and flesh began to slowly pull away from the bones, and the hair began to fall out. But beneath that, the skeleton also began to collapse. Kohaku gaped in astonishment, and pulled himself back further than before to avoid whatever was doing it. However, Ubaba's body continued to fade and dissolve. Eventually, the entire contents of her body turned semi-solid, and the whole body squished and slid off of the metal spike to the ground. But once there, it continued to soften and melt. The bones turned to yellow, and then liquid. Even the clothing faded. Her body began to sizzle and smoke, and foul vapor slowly began to come up from it. Slowly, Ubaba melted into a puddle, and then continued to bubble and fade away.

Finally, Kohaku understood. As he pulled himself to his feet, he remembered this was a clone. Rather than leave itself lying around dead, it was programmed to self-destruct once it was gone. Sure enough, the puddle itself was vaporizing. Soon, there would be nothing left.

But taking this into consideration, Kohaku began to think again. Yes, this wasn't the real Ubaba. It was a clone. However…it had acted like the real Ubaba would have done. This clone had to have only been a few hours old, yet it claimed it had made Chihiro forget about him… However, on thinking of that, Kohaku shook his head. That couldn't be right. It wasn't possible. Zanemba had given Chihiro a special hair band to ensure that she was invulnerable to Ubaba's memory charms. But if that was the case, how come he believed the clone so much? How come he became so angry that he unreasonably convinced himself it was the real Ubaba? How come he believed it when it claimed that it had done that terrible act, without even questioning it?

At once, Kohaku knew the answer.

…_Because that was my greatest fear._

_The irrationality of my fear made me believe this clone was the real thing. Because I feared more than anything that this would be true, my mind was preprogrammed to believe it was true the moment something gave voice to my fears. It was using my own worst fears against me. I was unnerved when I heard her say that. Sloppy. Angry. If it hadn't been for my paper image, I never would have focused enough to use a sufficient spell._

_Now I understand… That's what these "cloners" are doing. They're using our own worst fears against us. I responded to my fear with anger…but if the others responded to their fears with depression or terror…then they're doomed. Each one will be defeated by themselves. I have to do something about this. I have to stop it before it's too late, assuming the others haven't already been beaten._

Kohaku knew he didn't have long. Soon, he knew that more clones would be here and try to finish "Ubaba's" job. Quickly, he began to chant healing spells, and used a return magic to draw his paper image back into himself. He'd need all the stamina and power he could muster for what was coming next…

* * *

_To be continued..._


	11. Unhappy Reunion

Chapter Eleven

* * *

"Uh…"

Inuyasha groaned, feeling like the crud that got stuck between his toes. He couldn't remember the last time he had such a good beating…or feeling this sore after it. In fact, why did he feel this sore? He was conscious of being covered with bruises, swelled places, and of being dizzy and tired. He never felt any of that… Those sensations after battle were foreign to a hanyou of his power…

_Damnit, I feel almost as weak as a damn hu-_

Then, at once, Inuyasha's memory came back. He remembered the darkness, the chamber, the lights that affected him…Kikyo…

Inuyasha's eyes shot open and he struggled to lunge forward. He soon realized, however, that this was impossible. No sooner had he awakened and tried to move than he found himself clamped down against a wall with thick metal bindings around his body. They restricted his legs, his arms, his waist, and, he realized as he tried to look down, his neck. He was anchored somewhere, a prisoner. He grit his teeth in fury at how he had been made prisoner. He struggled to break himself free immediately…only to discover that it was totally futile. He could have snapped these bonds off immediately earlier…but now he saw his unusually smooth, black hair spilling over his shoulders. He realized his senses were severely dulled. To his growing anger, he realized he was still human.

The ex-hanyou looked up to see who had done this to him, and soon gave a cry of pain. A bright yellow light was shining over him and stabbed him in the eyes. Cursing to himself, he turned his head and looked to the side. But he was still blinded, and he needed a moment to recover. He lowered his head and waited for his eyes to clear. But soon, he had them opened again, as he heard a familiar sly voice call out to him.

"Well, look at you. Is it a full moon or something?"

Inuyasha, sneering, opened his eyes to look to who had spoken. When he did, he noticed he wasn't alone. Chained to his side, much the same as he was except for the light, was Lupin. His face looked half-swollen, and he was a bit tattered and torn as well from being roughed up. But he was there.

The hanyou snarled. "It's none of your business." He griped.

"What isn't? The whole thing about how you turn into a human when there's a new moon?"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open at that, first because he heard someone mention his only weakness out loud…second because he recognized the voice that did it. Looking back up and straining to see past Lupin, he managed to catch a glimpse of none other than Washu, giving him that endless smile, and struggling to wave a finger at him from her own restrained position.

Inuyasha sneered in fury, growing red and livid with rage. "Oh, thanks a lot! Why don't you just tell the whole world my problem while you're at it!"

"Um, I'm thinking because they have you under an ultraviolet light that's negating the effects of lunar radiation, they probably already knew."

This innocent-sounding voice came from Inuyasha's right. He wheeled his head around, and soon saw that they had more company. Bolted to the wall, likewise beaten half to a pulp and rather torn up, was Yomiko. Her glasses were cracked and skewed, but she managed a smile at him. Inuyasha merely rolled his eyes.

"Oh great…did anyone _not_ get captured?"

"Hey, ease off!" Lupin protested at this. "I don't see you running free, Mister Human Legion of Rabies. How'd they beat you up?"

Inuyasha, on hearing that, froze instantly. His anger vanished, and instead his nervousness returned. He thought again about Kikyo…and the biting, terrible words she said to him…things that pierced his heart…things he feared more than anything. Even now, they caught his tongue and refused to let him speak. He swallowed and was unable to reply as the sound caught in his throat.

"…My guess is, he got beat up the same way the rest of us did." Washu answered for him after a moment, shifting everyone back to her. "Using our worst enemies. Foes we fear more than anything and couldn't respond to. Lupin faced his father, Yomiko faced Miss Deep, Inuyasha faced Kikyo, and I faced…" A pause, then a loathsome voice. "…my ex…"

Inuyasha, however, looked up and glared at her at that, a bit surprised that she knew that much. "Oh yeah? How did you manage to figure out who we fought?"

Washu gave a nod in front of her. "Because they're standing right there."

Inuyasha wheeled around at that in surprise, as did the others. But sure enough, through the piercing light, he could see a small chamber in front of them in which they were now trapped. It was spacious enough, with them on one wall on the ground floor, but a raised floor on a raised wall surrounding the exterior of the room and providing access to a second level. It was dark and metallic, with machinery running everywhere and conduits and LEDs lighting up. But most importantly, however, was the fact that their four opponents were standing opposite them against the far wall. They glared at them darkly now, but stood silent and straight. On seeing them, the group members remained confident and bold against the other's opponents…but against their own they avoided their gazes. All were silent for a moment, with neither side doing anything or saying anything.

At last, Yomiko frowned and groaned. "Terrific…" She mumbled. "I've been in this situation before, and I didn't like it. At least it doesn't look like they're going to kill us this time…"

"That can be arranged, little girl, if you cause any more problems."

The new voice immediately caused the others to sharply turn to the source. What they saw was one of the door leading out of the room, or rather the tall, dark man who was walking through them. At least, they supposed it was a man. The voice was male enough, but one could see little of the features. The figure was entirely dressed in black, and was void of any detail to his clothing save for a few feathers around his head and a smiling mask on his face. However, through the eye holes of the mask…the group could see the eyes. They were red and black…and cracked. Seeing that on this man made the others silent for a moment. But they were further stunned when they felt his presence…the power and darkness of it as he walked forward.

"Rest assured, you are only alive now because my lady wishes it." The man darkly continued as he walked toward them. "Prove yourselves loyal, and there just might be a place for you in the new order. Insist on insurrection, and I will have my clones, your own worst enemies…" Here, he gestured behind himself to the otherwise stoic clones. "…Deal with you."

The man came to a stop in front of them. However, standing just out of their reach, having them as captives, and leaving them powerless to do anything, only made them angrier, particularly Inuyasha.

"So…you're that Da Vinci bastard I've heard so much about?"

One of the red eyes raised slightly at this. "…So, you figured out the true chairman of IGen." He mused. "It's about time someone did. If the signs were any more obvious, you'd have to smack someone over the head with them. Perhaps you might tell me who you're working for that knows this."

"Sorry, I don't talk well with an iron clamp around my neck." Lupin simply replied. "Ruins my voice something terrible."

"Besides, who said we were working for anyone?" Inuyasha snapped back.

The man snorted at this. "Now that _would_ be something. Seven of the world's strongest people becoming a group of vigilantes. Too bad it's untrue. You see, I already know who you are. That girl…" Here, he gestured to Yomiko, who looked a bit surprised. "…is a member of Britain's special forces. But as for the rest of you, I know full well that you are all rogues, former members of a United Nations team assembled by a military official/researcher named Gendo." A pause from him, and then a snort. They couldn't see it…but a faraway expression formed on Darcia's face, and his mouth spread into a grin.

"Oh, if you only knew what your old friend was developing as we speak…"

He paused a moment longer, relishing this, but then snapped out of it.

"Pity it will never see fruition after I have finished with this world."

Lupin was actually surprised by that. "Hey, how do you know all that? I thought we were top secret."

"Yes, I'd be interested to know myself." Washu almost excitedly replied.

"Suffice to say, the late Da Vinci managed to build a superior wireless computer system with hacking capabilities. Suffice further to say that as electricity itself is a wireless phenomenon to a degree, it is able to infiltrate anywhere."

Washu took this in…and seemed genuinely intrigued by it, despite the situation. "That's interesting…"

"Could you stop thinking about that stupid machine and think of a way to get us out of here!" Inuyasha snapped in response.

"Wait a minute… 'Late'?" Yomiko asked, going back to the dark man. "You mean, you're not Da Vinci?"

"No." The dark man simply responded. "My name is Darcia. I too, like all others in this building save for you four and your remaining friends, am a clone. But I was far more unique than the old man realized. And I have a far loftier goal then his base vision… Sadly we did not see eye to eye, and eventually I was forced to retire him."

"Our remaining friends?" Yomiko answered, hanging on that part. "Where are they? What did you do to them?"

"Your vampire friend gave me quite a time, but I assure you that he is imprisoned indefinitely now." Darcia calmly answered. "As for your hunter and immortal, they should be along shortly, once their respective opponents have defeated them."

Inuyasha snorted. "Dream on, idiot. There's no way you'll ever be able to make a clone powerful enough to catch D or a full youkai."

Darcia simply chuckled at this. "Simple nonsense. I already know all of your weaknesses. Not just your physical limitations, but your mental ones. None of you were defeated because my clones were stronger, faster, or more durable than you. You were beaten before the fights even started. Each one of these clones represents a physical manifestation of your worst fear. And your worst fear always strikes you down in your darkest fantasies and nightmares. Your friends will be no exception. But in the hunter's case, I assure you…I have found an opponent that not even he will be able to contend with."

The group grew angrier at this, knowing that Darcia was right. Even now, knowing fully that their opponents were clones, the group had the hardest time even facing down their fears, let alone standing against them and beating them. It was something they each hated to admit yet couldn't deny. But at the same time, Lupin was once again caught on one of Darcia's words.

"…So just what is this 'far loftier goal' that you have in mind?"

"Simple." Darcia answered. "To assist my lady in fulfilling her destiny. To guide her on the path to paradise."

"That's a tad vague…" Yomiko murmured in response.

"Just who is this 'lady' you keep talking about?" Inuyasha challenged.

No one could see it, but they sensed that the man smiled behind his mask.

"You managed to infer that Da Vinci was our leader, and yet you can't expand a little more wisdom to infer who she is?" He simply replied.

Lupin frowned. "Didn't mother ever tell you it's impolite to answer a question with another question?"

"At any rate," Darcia continued, ignoring Lupin. "You'll see her soon enough. She has been wanting to talk to you after all. She's been hard at work, and she's progressing faster than I anticipated. It seems we will indeed be able to begin the search for paradise right after we have implemented the first phase of our plans."

Inuyasha scowled. "More riddles again…what's the first phase?"

"I'm afraid I haven't the time or patience to tell you." Darcia calmly answered, turning and beginning to face the doorway again. Inuyasha merely bristled and grew angrier than ever, now that Darcia was brushing him off. "My lady will probably enlighten you on arrival. I will tell you this much…even if I freed you, it would already be too late to stop it."

The group froze on hearing that. Until now, they had been worrying that this mission would take too long, that it would be too late to stop Kohaku's theory by the time they got here. Now, was this Darcia telling the truth? Were they indeed too late to stop the world from exploding into a war? The dark man offered no answers to this. He simply walked slowly back out the way he came. Soon, he had vanished again, and the group was left alone in the room once more, only with the clones watching them.

Lupin groaned and moped. "Great. Why can't we have one of those old egotistical villains who tells you his whole plan once he has you captured, figuring that you won't be able to use that against him later?"

"I'll tear him up later." Inuyasha sneered. "Right now, I'm going to try and bust out of here."

"Oh, that's not a good idea."

Again, a new voice interrupted the group. They looked up to the source, and saw that it was in fact the clones that had spoken to them at last. But now, they all glared at them with malicious stares, and grinned darkly. "The moment any of you comes close to succeeding in escaping, we are authorized to terminate _all_ of you. So for the sake of your friends, I wouldn't get any ideas."

Inuyasha growled in response to this, and began to sulk as he leaned back against the wall.

Yomiko looked downcast a moment. But then, she suddenly looked up and gave a shrug. "Well, he said that they don't have D or Kohaku yet. Maybe that means they managed to beat their opponents and they're coming."

Washu, however, looked pessimistic to this. "I don't know about Kohaku…but if they have the opponent I think for D…then he might be in trouble."

_Click-click-click._

The others looked up as they heard a new sound coming into the room. When they did so, they looked up and past the clones to the doors leading into the chamber. They heard footsteps, but accompanying them was the sounds of light clicks against the ground, as if small objects were knocking against it. They grew louder, announcing that someone was coming.

The source soon appeared in the door frame, and the group was a bit astonished to see what it was. First, it was three soldiers. Two of them had some sort of silvery, shimmering fabric folded up, and were holding it in a presentation fashion in front of them. One toward the back held a single feathered and silver mask. But in their midst, much to the group's amazement, was a massive black wolf. It was gigantic, easily the size of two timber wolves. It looked almost tiger-sized. It was rippling with muscle and power, and its long, dangerous claws slowly clicked against the metal floor, creating the noise. But in spite of that, it was very stately. It held its head up, and its piercing yellow eyes regarded the area calmly. However, on entering, it turned fully to the group and fixated on them.

"Don't tell me that's 'his lady'…" Yomiko murmured.

"There's a disturbing thought." Lupin added with a look of disgust.

Inuyasha, however, merely looked in confusion at it. "That's odd… I can't smell it that well with this damn human nose…but it smells familiar…"

The wolf, naturally, didn't respond. But it moved almost as if it knew exactly what it was doing, rather like a human would. It calmly rounded the corner and walked in front of the group members. The soldiers followed it, one in the back and two at the sides, always bearing the materials with them. Once the wolf was down to their level and walked before the four of them, it sat down. Its calm black face slowly turned one way and another, looking over them all for a brief moment and showing nothing. Seeing this, the group grew nervous. This wolf seemed rather intelligent. Despite being an animal…they felt as if it knew what was going on, and they wondered why it was coming so close and just looking at them…

Finally, the wolf rose. But to their surprise, rather than attack or growl or anything, it merely turned around and sat again, with its back to them. The soldiers froze as well after moving in closer to it. At that time, at last…the wolf began to do something. Something that none of them expected…

Slowly, the creature hunched over. As it did, it seemed to begin to straighten. Its paws fell flat on the ground, and its legs shoved further behind it. But then, more began to happen. The wolf began to _change_. Its solid body began to grow slimmer. Its arms and legs lengthened, and the paws began to flatten out and thin. The ears of the creature slid down alongside its head for the sides, and the fur around its head grew longer as the rest began to fall out. The tail fell off like dead material, the hole left in its wake quickly closing up. The limbs were long now, and slowly the wolf began to push off of them, using its now fatter paws, and began to rise to a stand. Pink skin was exposed under the fur as it fell. The forepaws thinned and began to form fingers and hands, while the rear ones lengthened to form feet and toes. The ears smoothed and reduced, and the hair became in a human's pattern and length around the head. Soon, the group realized that the wolf had changed into a human. Not just any human though…a young woman.

The soldiers immediately went to work. One stepped forward and unfolded one set of shimmering silver clothes, sweeping them around the woman's middle and fastening them along the back, so that some sort of dress covering was around her outside up to her breasts. The next one unfurled the cloth, swept it around her body, and fastened it at her neck. This one was more of a high-collared cape. Last but not least, the final one came forward and placed the mask over her face, although it only covered the upper portion of it. That done, all three stepped back and stood at attention again.

Now clothed, the woman turned and looked again to them all. Her eyes were as piercing and strong as they had been when she was a wolf, and her mood was the same as before too. Yet despite concealing half of her face, the others immediately recognized her as she looked at them. Her mouth, her eyes…it was unmistakable, and the others were alarmed to see it.

"…Kei?"

* * *

A bullet with the force of a small cannon pierced one of the metal walls in the facility, causing an inward explosion of burning hot metal and fire. Yet despite this, moments later a man dressed in black darted through the opening, practically lunging into it. Once he was through, he nimbly did a mid-air flip, landed on his feet, and then began to run behind the wall. That was good…for moments later more gunshots began to erupt around him. Some were behind him, each one taking a shred of his coat as he dashed past each eruption. But some were in front as well, forcing him to stop long enough to dodge, but go again before a follow-up shot hit him.

D wasn't tired yet, but he knew that would change before long. Compared to other vampires, D was superior. But that was only due to the fact that his father had been the most powerful of all vampires. Compared to the man himself…that was another matter entirely. D knew there was no way his own instincts, reflexes, and senses could outclass Alucard. He could track him through ten feet of metal walls using only his heartbeat if he wanted. And Alucard was probably the best shot on the planet with his guns. As such, there were no weaknesses on the man that D could exploit. However…Alucard still relied on guns, not swords as D did. Blades could be an extension of your own power. When you used guns, no matter how powerful, you were always dependant on the machine's limitations. Fast as Alucard was, it still took fractions of a second for the hammer of his weapon to strike the back of a bullet, send the bullet flying, and for the shot to catch up with him. Those fractions of a second were all that would keep D alive…

The hunter continued to rush past the walls, as fire erupted all around him. It aimed for his legs, his head, his middle…everywhere. It was all that D could do to keep away from it. Finally, however, the moment came that D was waiting for. There was a brief delay between shots that D detected…and he immediately concluded that the clone was pausing to reload. He had tried counting the shots, and he thought he had counted twelve, six for each weapon. Of course, if he was truly fighting Alucard…the vampire king would simply have stopped shooting early, and planted a shot in D's skull the moment he tried to take advantage of the break. D, however, was betting that this clone didn't have near the experience and wisdom of the true Alucard, and he leapt on it. Immediately, he dove back out of the wall through one of the still smoldering holes. He landed on his feet, and immediately charged for the source of the gunshots.

Sure enough, as he came out, he saw that the clone had one gun open and was quickly and smoothly replacing the bullets. His head, however, was unexposed, and he looked unmindful. This seemed to be a good opening…almost too good. However, D decided to gamble it was the clone's bad judgment again, and tried to follow up on it. He dashed forward, and brought his blade back to give a decapitation stroke. He leapt into the air as Alucard swung his barrel around and clicked his bullets back into place, and swung his sword…

The clone didn't even bat an eye as he calmly tilted his head to one side, letting the sword sail harmlessly over him. However, D was able to look down, and for an instant as he sailed over Alucard saw his yellow eyes flash menacingly at him as he grinned. Then, the vampire brought his fist up in a powerful uppercut right to D's face.

The force ripped D out of the air and sent him flying to the ceiling. His world immediately swirled and he felt dizzy, though the blow had hit him in the face. He smashed hard into the ceiling, driving his body's imprint into it. D knew for a fact, right then and there, that he had never been hit by a vampire that hard before. Any other dhampire would have had their head ripped clean off. D was merely dazzled, and he looked down even as the inertia held him against the wall.

It was a good thing too, for Alucard was already moving to finish him. His gun was already leveled at his body, and was firing. Again, all that D had to work against was the forces of physics themselves as a bullet erupted from his gun and sailed straight for him. The throw had happened only milliseconds ago, and the inertia still held D against the ceiling. He couldn't dodge this fatal shot. Realizing this, D quickly did the only thing that came to mind. He ripped off the covering on his hand with his nails and then held his left hand right at the incoming shot.

Immediately, the creature inhaled and engulfed the incoming bullet. D began to fall, gravity once again taking hold, a moment later. However…he soon had more discomfort. His hand felt like it was on fire. His arm vibrated like it was strapped to a rock tumbler. His nerves ached like he had been electrocuted, and his hand went limp and numb. Fire erupted from the end of his arm before it was fully engulfed, and then slumped uselessly to his side as he reached the ground and touched.

"Ugh, D… I won't be able to handle many more of those…"

Taking that unfortunate note into consideration, D quickly leapt to one side. A good thing too, for Alucard already was firing again. He quickly dodged to the edge of a metal column nearby, one that provided a temporary barrier. Alucard, seeing this, tried to lead him with a shot. But it was a moment too early, and blasted only the column itself rather than D. However, D decided to use the flames and metal that resulted to mount a counterattack. Quickly bringing up his functional hand, he swiped at Alucard as he went behind the column, flinging three wooden needles at him.

D heard the slightest "hmph" from the clone as the needles sailed to him. Then…he seemed to vanish into shadow. D wasn't sure if he was moving that fast, or if he transformed that fast into mist. But whatever the reason, the needles pierced only black smoke…and D suddenly felt a very cold presence in front of him. The hunter halted immediately and turned…only to see Alucard's grinning face glaring right in front of him. He had materialized right in front of the hunter.

D felt surprise, but didn't dare show it. Already, Alucard was leveling his gun barrel to finish him. D quickly reacted. He took a slight step back, and then swept his own nodachi up to block against the shot. As the two weapons collided in a clash of sparks, a great blast went out from the gun, and for a moment the two warriors were engulfed in fire and light…

But it only lasted a second. Moments later, D went flying away from Alucard, the edge of his shoulder fountaining blood now. He touched down on the ground with a light click of his boots. However…that was soon joined by a metal clicking as well. Across the room, now sliding across the floor…was half of Alucard's first gun. The vampire himself stood where he was, and held up the end of one of his weapons to his face, studying it as the halved bullets slowly fell out of it.

D grit his teeth through the pain in his shoulder, wishing that Alucard hadn't used silver bullets. His nodachi had brushed the gun away just in time. A millisecond later…and the eruption would have taken off his whole arm, if not half his torso as well. But now, his one good arm was injured, and he couldn't fight back until his left arm grew strong enough to fight again. Fortunately, he had done some damage as well. After moving the gun out of the way, the atom edge of his nodachi managed to cut one of Alucard's pistols in half. That dropped the vampire to one gun.

Unfortunately, D couldn't decide if this was a good thing or not. Now he only had one weapon to reload, and one of his hands was free for more hand-to-hand combat. What more, if he destroyed both guns…then the clone would resort to physical means, for which D had no defense. But the deed was done now, and for the moment it had given him a break.

However, Alucard finally tossed the halved weapon aside to the ground and leveled his good pistol at D. Realizing it was time to move again, the dhampire quickly took off to one side and dodged again.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	12. Doubt

Chapter Twelve

* * *

A frown slightly crossed Kei's face as she reached up and removed her mask. She practically threw it to the ground. "…I told them I didn't want to wear that stupid thing. I don't want to give the impression I'm some lackey of Darcia's."

The group was still mostly staring in stunned silence, trying to tie together all that they had just seen. The woman they had thought captured suddenly appears in front of them, only now she looks like she's running the show in the facility as well…and what more, she appears to be a werewolf. Inuyasha frowned at her after a while, and snorted.

"Could have fooled me…"

"What did he do to you, Kei?" Lupin asked with genuine shock, and a bit of recoiling fear.

"He didn't do anything to me." Kei answered, almost indignant that they were insinuating it. "Nothing besides showed me how I can finally control my power. For years I've been afraid that one day I would lose control just like Tetsuo. When that day came, I feared the same horrible fate would happen to me. If I survived the madness and agony, I'd become some hideous mutant.

"Now I don't have to be afraid anymore." Kei's voice calmed, and she almost began to sound proud with herself. "I thought the suggestion was crazy at first too. But he told me that I should try to use my power to reshape my own body into one that could cope with my ability. And it worked. I was freaked out at the insanity of turning myself into a wolf, but once I succeeded my power came to me like a natural extension of myself. Something about that body allows me to channel my strength far more naturally. I don't even have to strain to use my power in that body. And no matter how many times I use it, I don't need drugs or rest."

Lupin merely blinked in reply to this. "…Somehow, I don't think Lon Chaney Jr. was ever much of a psychic…"

"I think she may have something there."

In response to this, the group members turned and all looked to Washu. She seemed to have some air of fascination on her now, and she examined Kei as she hung there and explained her reasoning.

"Inuyasha should know better than anyone. Right now, he feels limited physically and mentally. His senses are dulled, his reflexes are slowed, and his instincts are non-existent. In effect, he has lost the special senses and intuition that his animal half granted him. In the same breath, Kei has gained new facilities and 'hardware' so to speak to operate her new senses and powers. It makes sense when you think about it. Human bodies aren't meant to contain that level of psychic power. The only solution is to use the power itself to evolve the body into a more competent form. After all, didn't Akira abandon his body in the end to be able to sustain his level of ability?"

"My own powers won't ever be as strong as Akira's." Kei interjected. "But the wolf body is more than adequate to sustain my power indefinitely. And…" Kei paused here again. As she did, she swallowed a bit, and bowed her head slightly, as if even admitting this made her nervous. But after a moment, she looked up, and with a somewhat distant voice continued.

"…It feels good. Isolated to this form, my movement and sensory capabilities are so hampered and flawed… I feel closer to…perfect…in that other body…"

A look of unease rippled over the group at that. This was getting a little too weird for the more sensitive members. However, the pause lasted only a second, and Washu spoke again.

"So, he gave you the idea to turn yourself into a wolf to gain better control of your power… And what did he want in return for this, Kei?"

Kei hesitated on hearing that. She looked down again and swallowed. "…Only that I help him find something…and speed up what I now know is inevitable…"

"So, it's true then." Washu responded flatly, her tone almost accusing. "You _are_ helping him start his war. You're going to help him kill millions of people."

Kei closed her eyes and held for a moment. "It's not what you think. I'm just trying to speed something along. I'm trying to get to the point where I can save the world."

The group was growing puzzled at this, and what it all was supposed to mean. Furthermore, they were still shocked that Kei was actually helping in this insane vision in the first place. But they continued to look to her, and Washu was now intrigued. "How is this going to help that?"

Kei abruptly looked up at that, and her eyes suddenly blazed with passion. She turned around and gestured all around her, to the clones, the facility, and everywhere beyond. "Look around you. Look at what this is. This place doesn't exist because some group of clones built it. It exists because the world _wants_ it, just like they wanted things like S.O.L., Akira, Tetsuo, Alucard, and all the other genocidal weapons in the world. All these stupid governments…factions…terrorists… All of their stupid small ideals don't matter one bit in the grand scheme of things. But still they try to make their way known by victimizing anyone who is too weak to fight back. They use terror and power to try and subjugate the world. And I?" Kei held a moment, and snorted and looked to the ground. Her voice quivered a bit.

"…And I was just like them. For years I was a spy for Neo Tokyo, and I heartlessly set bombs that blew up innocent aides as well as politicians. I killed simple guards who had families so that I could infiltrate areas. I shot automatic weapons that collaterally killed five year old children. Darcia helped me wake up to the truth…that for all the nobility and justice and freedom I fought for…in the end the world saw me as just another crazy terrorist. And I was working to uphold a government that was already as seeded with corruption as the last one.

"The only time I ever was able to feel like I truly did something good was when I fought Tetsuo, when I became the conduit for the powers of the other three. Because of that, I realized that I needed to return to that. I needed to become what I was before. So yes, I learned how to turn myself into a wolf, so that I could gain full control over my powers.

"But this isn't enough. I want to truly change the world for the better. I want to do away with all these crazy organizations and factions and cells. I want to make a world where innocent people can be free to live as they choose, away from all of this base corruption and political bull that fills the world today. I want people to return to a simpler age, when people were simpler…just as I had to go back into a more primal form to appreciate my full mental capabilities."

"How does turning yourself into a werewolf and starting World War IV do that?" Lupin asked.

Kei lowered her face again and frowned. "I won't expect you all to understand. I won't even expect you to believe me, despite the fact that we have all already seen things that are far beyond what normal people consider to be reality. But Darcia has told me that when the world is on the brink of destruction, it is possible for it to be reborn as a paradise for the survivors. The world can be remade fresh and young and new. But only a wolf can unlock it. That's the main reason I transformed myself. I have to be a wolf to be able to do this.

"Once this world war starts, all of the great factions on Earth will destroy each other with the weapons they bought from Darcia. Much of the world will be destroyed. But once it is, I have the power to create a new utopia for the survivors. With Darcia's help, I can find the way to paradise in my wolf form, and then I can save those who are left, and leave them free again."

The others were a bit stunned at this. They all knew Kei was a practical woman, even given all that she had seen. But this was amazing. This sounded like something out of a fairy tale. But they knew just by looking at her that she was dead serious. She really believed in this paradise crap. She had actually turned herself into a carnivore in order to get to it. She was actually working with that mad cloner to go on this little crusade…

"Kei…you can't honestly believe that stuff is real." Lupin finally spoke out loud, his own face and tone full of doubt.

"It's the only thing I believe in now." Kei simply replied. "I have no country. I have no husband. I have no faith in mankind. This dream may seem foolish to you, but I believe it now…and it's the only dream I have left. If I can create a world with Darcia's help where a mother can go to sleep at night without fearing what's going to happen to her family while she sleeps…then I'm willing to try for it."

"Oh, come on!" Inuyasha griped in response. "That's just a stupid legend!"

"It isn't a legend…but Ms. Kei hasn't repeated the whole story, either…"

To this, Inuyasha, Washu, Lupin, and Kei all looked up and turned to the source. Kei, on her part, was not only surprised at this new voice, but at the person who spoke. Yomiko, at long last, had said something, standing in silence until now. Her head was bowed, and her hair drooped over her glasses and face. However, her tone was low and somber, and she spoke quietly. However, her mood and sudden interjection was more than enough to capture everyone's undivided attention.

"…I read that story once, in a real old book in the library…" Yomiko continued softly. "A story about how…years ago…this world was full of wicked, selfish people… They ravaged the planet so much that it fell into an eternal winter… When it did, four wolves came forth and went to the ends of the world with a girl from flowers…and they unlocked a paradise that restored the planet once again…"

Kei was silent, and didn't bother to ask where this person had come from. However, Yomiko suddenly looked up and glared right in her eyes, making the older woman actually gape a little and back up in shock.

"But that wasn't the whole story…or the whole legend…

"Whoever was the one to unlock paradise reserved the right to shape it as he or she wished, and to rule over it. And there was one man who, driven half-mad by the death of his lover, wanted to shape the world in his image to ensure his happiness and his alone, not caring about anyone else's. He killed hundreds to achieve his goal…including innocents and people who only wanted to have a new life of peace together. He cared about nothing else except his own ambition and obsession. He killed all four wolves and the girl from flowers, nearly dooming the rest of the planet. It was only because the girl and pack leader used their last breath to unlock paradise that the rest of the world was spared. As for the man himself…his body was destroyed for his wickedness when he attempted to enter…to seize control of creation. But a part of him was reborn into a flower in the new world the resulted."

Kei said nothing, but her expression was not hard, but was hanging onto this…and with a growing air of forboding. As she did, Yomiko blinked once, paused, and then finished.

"…The name of this wicked man…was Darcia."

Kei's eyes widened slightly at this name, and she was a bit taken aback. The others likewise reacted to this, mostly in the sense of who this clone was. Obviously, the clone wasn't an average person after all. He was someone of some importance. But what other importance could he have besides this? What made him different? But Yomiko continued, still looking at Kei.

"Ms. Kei…I don't know who you are, but I know that the IGen process warps the people it clones. I saw several great philosophers and inventors become madmen as a result of being cloned. The last Darcia was crazy…killing anyone who stood in his way. And I know this Darcia is no better. He's still wanting to kill anyone who keeps him from his goal. He's going to kill millions of innocents this time so that he can get himself to paradise and make the world in his image. This isn't an altruistic goal, and it's not any acceptable loss. He's again just killing anyone who stands in the way between him and godhood. And you're helping him do it."

The woman's eyes were still filled with sudden shock. She looked to the ground and heard these words. Though she had never seen Yomiko before, the others could tell that they were sinking in. Darcia was a person to be mistrusted…not this girl. She conveyed nothing but honesty and sincerity…while Darcia had seemed to have secret motives the whole time. Kei's face gradually turned from surprise to normal…and then to a dark frown. Her teeth clenched as she slowly tightened a hand into a fist.

"…I _knew_ he was hiding something from me…"

The others stared on, waiting for her to do something. Kei herself stood straight and tall for a few moments longer. But then…she simply turned around and began to storm out the way she came. The soldiers paused a moment, but then turned and began to follow her.

Seeing this, Lupin blinked and looked up. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"To talk with him." Kei simply answered, not turning.

"Well then let us out first!" Inuyasha protested.

"No." Kei, much to everyone's surprise, coldly stated. She froze as she did so, but did not turn around. "I may have my doubts about Darcia now…but not about finding paradise. You'll try and stop me if I let you go. Wait there for now." With that, the woman resumed walking, along with her train. Soon, they had reached the door again and had left. The group was once again left chained to the wall alone with their worst enemies.

After a moment of silence, Inuyasha gnashed his teeth. "Great! We're right back where we started!"

"Great…the one last sane woman in my life went nuts too…" Lupin lamented.

* * *

Clones were not capable of much independent thought. At least…these clones weren't. They had enough to be able to work out problems and generate solutions, but it was better if they weren't allowed to let their minds wander and think of escaping or revolting. That was why it was generally good practice to let basic soldier clones have a short lifespan, and to include enough safeguards that they couldn't think too much about rebellion.

Still…that didn't change the fact that three basic shock troop clones, each one a basic Daniel Boone package, were confused about their assignment to guard and monitor a pillar of silver imprinted with gold crucifixes. It was mounted in one of the smelting chambers, suspended over one of the pits. They themselves were outside of the chamber, monitoring it behind the heat shield of plexiglass at the smelter console. The three were all sitting in chairs and had their guns to their sides. They stood upright and were at the ready, but they were still muddled.

The one in the middle, who had received the initial order, was most confused.

_Why does Lord Darcia want us to guard this pillar? What could be so important that is contained within? I know the cloning team was doing a lot of work with it earlier, so there is probably something preserved inside it. But other than that, it's just a basic metal column. And why would someone preserve something in molten steel to begin with. And why do we have to keep it covered with ultraviolet light?_

The clone received no answers, neither from himself nor from the higher commanders. He was left to sit there and thing along with the others, and continue to stare at it. It was somewhat strange…he began to think as he stared at it. Just some designed metal column…sitting in the center of a room… It was almost like they were watching some prisoner…or something contained there. Yet as he continued to look at it, the clone felt himself grow more intrigued and puzzled by it. It began to draw all of his interest…focusing his full undivided attention on the stoic, unmoving column… He slowly began to lean over, studying its intricicies more and more…moving his fingers invisibly along the lines… The lights around him seemed to dim… The room seemed to fade… But still he stared on.

So enamoured was the clone that he didn't notice his partners slowly lean back. They crossed their arms across their chests as they stared at the silver, and seemed to grow quite bored and disinterested. As the central clone grew more fixated, the others continued to lose stimulation. Slowly, they bowed their heads and yawned. They nodded a few times as they looked at it…but it was too taxing for them to keep looking. At last, they both nodded off and fell asleep. But the central clone didn't notice this. He was far too fixated on the silver column…far too transfixed…almost mesmerized…

However, the clone soon grew uncomfortable. Now, he was devoted to studying the intricities of the column…to move his eyes over every square inch. But that ultraviolet light… It was growing more unpleasant. Strange…it didn't bother him at all earlier. But now it seemed to grow brighter and stronger…and began to hurt his eyes. It glared off the silver, blotting out the designs and making it impossible to see…

_So bright… I should dim the lights._

The idea suddenly sprang into his head. Of course. He should dim the lights. Then he'd be able to watch the column more closely than ever. That was what Lord Darcia wanted, wasn't it? Naturally, he reached over to the control panel and turned a knob. Immediately, the ultraviolet lights dimmed and shut down. At the same time, the clone's fascination with the column increased three fold. Now, he could think of nothing else but it…and could do nothing but trace his eyes along it up and down the whole way. He cared for nothing else but watching the column now…

Slowly, the man began to realize something. Yes…he could see it now. All of the details…all of the curves and minute changes… Yes…there was something inside it, wasn't there? Something great and fascinating…far more wondrous than the column itself… Locked in there, secret and concealed behind the silver and crosses…

_I could see it better…if I melted off some of the silver…_

Another idea. Yes, that was perfect! Melt some of the silver, and then he'd be able to see the wonderful thing inside. Lord Darcia wouldn't mind. After all, he was doing as he was told. He was watching the object. And surely, watching the inner object would be far more fascinating than the outer one. Yes…the column on the outside was boring him now. It was dull…like a veil. The thing inside…_that_ was the true treasure. Immediately, he reached over and pressed a few buttons.

The air inside the chamber began to ripple, and the shade turned bright red as the heat started in the smelter. It took a little while to get going, for it had to generate an amazing amount of power. But soon it was underway, and soon the heat was readily building. A heat of over 10,000 degrees was soon blasting full strength within the smelter. But the clone himself eagerly watched and waited for the pillar to change. Slowly…it began to. The outside of it began to heat up and glow. When it did, it started to distort. It was small at first. The exterior first turned into a sort of mush. That slowly slid over and melted the crosses that were imprinted on it. However, the loss of the crosses turned the man's fascination into an obsession. His eyes began to gleam greedily now. His lips trembled and he licked them. It was working…and he had to see it. He had to see the wonderful thing inside. It was no longer an option not to. Slowly, silver began to drip off of the column, and fell into the smelting pit below.

_More…faster…_

The soldier quickly turned up the heat. He had to see it. Soon, the entire column was glowing, and silver was dripping off faster than ever. It was like a giant popsicle melting in a desert. Each drop of silver that fell made the man's obsession grow. He pushed himself up to the glass and pressed his face and hands against it, eager to see the thing inside. The silver continued to drip. The pincers overhead closed in as it melted, allotting for the loss of volume. The column shrank to half of its original size. Then a quarter. Then, at last…a new form began to take shape in it.

_Yes, that's it!_

Quickly, the clone reached over and shut off the heat. The room quickly began to cool, but the metal was still hot and continued to melt off. However, that only served to more closely reveal the object inside. The man was trembling with excitement now, practically drooling. He had to see it. He had to look at it. He could barely wait long enough for the room to cool down. But once it did, he quickly pressed a console button to have the object within placed on a metalworking pallet. That done, he left his seat immediately and fled to the doorway. He couldn't even see the other sleeping guards as he did so. He just had to get to the door. He had to see the marvelous thing.

He soon went through and entered the chamber. It was still horribly hot, and actually began to melt his shoes as he entered. But he didn't care. He simply rushed over to the pallet, where the pincer was already moving away from. On it, the thing had already been placed. With nervous joy, he rushed over to it and looked at it.

However, he felt some disappointment on seeing it. This was the thing? It was a charred, disformed skeleton. Some of the flesh was still clinging to it, particularly in the face, and distorting it in a twisted expression of agony. But it was, all together, a writhing, dead skeleton. The clone was downcast. It wasn't that great. It didn't look all that good or special…

_But I haven't cleaned it yet…_

The clone snapped at that. Of course. He hadn't cleaned it. It was still dirty with all that soot and ash. He had to wash it first. But what would he wash it with?

_Blood would be a good solvent._

Perfect. Blood would be a great solvent. It would be delicate on the bones, so they wouldn't break. And it would clean off all the soot too. The clone smiled at the thought. Lord Darcia would be very pleased with him once he had done all this. He would have done a very good job indeed. He knew just where to find blood. There was tons in the medical center. All he had to do was take this pallet there. He knew the schedule. He knew exactly where to go to make sure no one would see him take it there…not until, of course, it was all cleaned up.

Eagerly, the clone went to the edge of the pallet and began to turn it. He had to get it there and cleaned up quickly. He had to see just how marvelous this thing would look when all finished…

* * *

"We may have a problem…"

Darcia figured that had to be the one phrase that any commander had to loathe more than anything. And now, he was hearing it for the first time himself. He struggled to suppress a frown. He had a feeling this would be coming ever since Kei's old group arrived. In a way, one could argue it might have been her that set of the chain that brought them here. But he didn't care too much about that at this point. Kei was very valuable to him, and at this point he could deal with some difficulties.

Darcia had taken Da Vinci's old place in his office now. He had returned here after meeting with the four lesser group members, leaving Kei to say something to them as well. However, he had hardly resumed his old position here when one of the commanders appeared on the screen built into the desk, and gave the ominous statement.

"What is it?" Darcia asked.

"The enemy identified as D is still fighting his opponent. But moreover, we discovered that the Ubaba clone has been destroyed. The enemy identified as Kohaku escaped, and is now running free somewhere in the facility."

The dark man snorted slightly beneath his mask. So…it began. Even having one of them running loose in the facility was enough to risk the entire operation. He would no doubt move to cause sabotage…or at least free another group member. Washington D.C. proved that no amount of clones could stop even one of the group. Without an opponent that matched them, they would go unhindered. Darcia supposed he could make additional copies of the Ubaba clone…but that would take hours. The place could be in total chaos by then.

"Shall we sound the security alert, my lord?"

Darcia hesitated a moment longer…but then shook his head. "No. Such a step would avail us nothing. This facility is lost now. It is time for us to cut our losses. Run a silent evacuation signal to move our remaining troops out. The moment we are clear from a sector, you may lock it down. And commander…detonate the explosives in the elevator shaft. I want it impossible for anything to escape that way."

The commander looked a bit surprised by this. "…Sir?"

"We will be moving to our first sub-site in Sudan, and we will rebuild a facility there. It is too late for them to stop us now. But they could be a thorn in our sides later. So I will be leaving right now to set the self-destruct button on the facility. You will have thirty minutes to escape after I have completed setting it."

"Sir… Our silent communications only run for the main facility. The clones in the replica city below the factory will not be warned to escape."

"The Renaissance Age died centuries ago, commander. Those clones are relics of a fool's dream, and have outlived their usefulness. Carry out my orders."

"Yes sir."

The screen immediately went blank. As it did so, Darcia slowly began to rise from his chair. So…this was what it came down to. With any luck, the explosion would bury his enemies under three miles of ice and snow. They were his primary concern now. With them gone, there would be nothing left to stop him no matter where they rebuilt. Not that it really mattered… They had shipped enough troops for the war to proceed without them. All that really mattered was that he and Kei would be free to pursue their destiny once this was finished…

The dark man turned away from his desk for the last time, and began to walk toward the exit.

* * *

D barely managed to dive behind a scorched, ruined piece of metal wall before the shot fired. This one raked partially against his calf, tearing open another wound that would not heal easily. He practically had to drag himself behind the metal shield, and there he paused for a moment. He was panting now, growing tired from all of this dodging. He didn't even bother to spring out and attempt to counterattack Alucard while he reloaded. He learned by now that such a move would only end in pain for him.

This wasn't getting easier. Alucard was deadly with his weapon, even if he was down to one gun. But D was getting tired. The non-healing wounds inflicted on him were taking their toll. The blood loss was making him pant and sweat to keep up. At last, D realized that even though this would result in Alucard resulting to his own physicality to fight, he had to try and take out the other gun. If he could keep his own blade through such an attack…he just might still have a slight advantage. However, that left the question of how exactly to get the gun…

D could think of only one idea.

"…I'm going to need your help again."

"Ugh…my throat still hurts from the first one, D. This is the last one I can do. After this, another shot will rip your arm off. Hell, _this one_ just might…"

"Thanks for your concern."

"Concern nothing! I live here!"

D didn't wait for his left hand to complain any longer. Alucard was reloaded by now, and his next shot would tear apart D's barrier and whatever was behind it. And so, he quickly reached to his torn and burned coat, pulled out a few needles, and then positioned himself in a crouch to go to work.

Quickly, D flung two sets of three needles out, hoping that the change of movement would attract the unexperienced clone of Alucard. First he threw one to the right, then one to the left. He didn't hear a gunshot…unfortunately. But he still hoped that Alucard's eyes were following them, watching them and whatever other movement was coming out. Even if he guessed what D was planning…that wasn't entirely a bad thing. Immediately after throwing the needles out, D swung his sword back with his bad arm, and then lunged out from behind his barrier, and sailed through the air straight for Alucard, his weapon poised to swing down and cleave in half, and his other hand stretched out and extended before him.

D immediately saw that Alucard hadn't gone for it. He had been expecting D to try a surprise attack after giving him two decoys to chase. His gun was already aimed up and right for him, and that wicked smile was across his face. However…he didn't seem to realize D was hoping for this too.

A groan seemed to come from his left hand.

Alucard's arm was extended and aiming the barrel right for him…and he fired. Another cannon-like shot erupted from the gun and sailed right for D. Immediately, the face began to inhale again as strongly as it could. As before, the shot was engulfed and sucked into the void of the creature's mouth. But worse than before…D felt a terrible numbing throughout his arm. It vibrated so much this time he felt it would be ripped off. He felt his bones fracture within his arm this time, and a living fire burned within his veins and muscles. His arm became totally useless…but still D was pleased. He had gained the left hand after leaving his father. Alucard had no prior experience with it. The true Alucard could probably compensate, but this phony one hadn't the lifespan to grow that mentally adept. Rendered temporarily harmless, Alucard could only stare in momentary surprise as the still lunging D brought his sword arm down and neatly cleaved Alucard's remaining pistol in half.

Quickly, the vampire leapt back as well, getting himself out of range of D. As for the vampire hunter, he landed a moment later. His left arm now hung uselessly at his side…and blood actually dribbled from the face's mouth. He couldn't hear his normally bossy and chattering tone…and D began to wonder if the creature was dead. However, he merely stood straight and tall and crossed his nodachi in front of him. Alucard himself froze on landing, still holding his now useless stock in front of him as it dribbled out bullets and metal fragments. He glared at D for a moment, and the hunter glared silently back. Neither of them said a word.

Then, at last, Alucard, not looking away for a moment, simply tossed his weapon aside. He raised both hands to his jacket, and with one quick snap smoothed it out. Calmly, he raised a hand to his glasses and took them off, carefully folded them, and put them in his coat pocket. He took his hat next, and tossed it lightly to one side. Afterward…he began to crack his neck and his knuckles. Finally, once that was done, he focused totally on D.

"…Have it your way."

Then, in a flash, the vampire was on him. D leapt back, but still felt his gloved hand scrape against his cheek so hard that it cut the skin. D quickly countered, bringing up all the speed he could muster with one arm. His blade sliced again and again at Alucard, slashing at him as fast as he could. But Alucard either dodged these blows, or moved so fast that he was outside of them before D could even counter. After one such slash to his left, in which Alucard seemed to dematerialize and appear on his right, he barely had time to see Alucard make a fist before he felt his face being smashed in by a light jab. The vampire hunter was taken off his feet, flung halfway across the ruined room, and landed on the ground a moment later roughly, sliding across it.

D shook his head and quickly snapped back to his feet, ignoring the blood now beginning to flow from his nose, and the bruise that had appeared across it despite his ability to regenerate. He swung his blade dangerously in circles in front of him for a moment with one arm, glaring at Alucard…who hadn't bothered moving from where he was. Then, he shot forward and renewed his attack.

D tried for a stab at first. Alucard ducked in, deflected this with one arm, and gave him a jab to the stomach in response. D felt the wind being knocked out of him and his stomach crushed…but he held on. Quickly, he did a flip over Alucard's head and landed on the opposite side of him. As he did, he sharply pulled his blade up, hoping to cut a gash across Alucard's arm as he did so. Yet the vampire broke free when he did, and swung his own body around at incredible speed with a backhand aimed for the side of D's head. Luckily, the hunter managed to see this. If he hadn't…the blow probably would have ripped the head off his shoulders. He ducked down just in time. However, he knew he hadn't the time to fully spin around and counter, and so he only turned around partway and then did the unorthodox movement of charging into Alucard with his shoulder. It was a weak move, but it did connect and forced the vampire back as D ran into him. But the vampire answered back by hooking his fist underneath into D's torso. This wouldn't have been a good move for most people, but for one with Alucard's strength…he felt some things nearly snap. D quickly stepped back, and then did a one-two slash at Alucard again. The vampire backed up for these, avoiding them easily, but also giving D some breathing room. Yet the space didn't last. Once D's slash was done, Alucard brought up a knee to his side, darted forward as if he was riding on air, and then swung around and smashed his foot into D's face. Now, blood spilled from his mouth as his front teeth were knocked in, and his nose was crushed. D was sent flying up through the air and backward…

…But not for long. Suddenly, the hunter righted himself and spun in midair, twisting himself around in a great backflip spiral. As he did, he brought his sword back up and forward. Alucard was surprised by this move, and before he could react the vampire hunter darted his blade forward and struck out with his special sword technique. Alucard tried to leap back…but the blade sank into one of his cheeks and cut one of D's special slices. Only then did Alucard move back and land. As for D, he completed his spiral and landed on the ground…although he hunched now, and struggled to stay upright. He spat out blood and teeth alike, and took the moment to have his weakened ribs and arm bones reconnect.

Alucard himself stopped a moment. He glared darkly at D, as he raised a hand to his face and touched it. It stung even him, and he pulled it back and glared angrily at how his white glove was now stained red. Silver would hurt a vampire for an extended period of time, but D knew full well that Alucard was a vampire of such strength that even he could regenerate from silver fairly quickly. All very strong vampires could. That was why D had stomached the sight of his father growing up long enough to learn the Transylvanian Avulsion Technique. The cut continued to bleed freely, not even scabbing properly.

Alucard glared a moment longer at D, and then proceeded to simply pull off his gloves.

"…You're going to suffer for that, D."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	13. The Quick and the Dead

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

Darcia's elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. A pair of guards greeted him when it did so, but he ignored them. As he began to walk forward, his sole concern was on the area in front of him.

The chamber he was in now was massive, extending up and down for hundreds of feet. It was cylindrical, all connecting to one point in the center, which in this case was a giant machine column built into the chamber. A series of catwalks extended to it from numerous points, including the point that Darcia was now standing and walking to the center from. There were more overhead and down below as well. Each one was only wide enough to let a few people walk abreast, but they did have railings. Unlike the green light from earlier, this room was bathed in an orange, industrial type light. Darcia paid none of this any mind, but focused instead on the column far before him.

As he walked forward, he began to distinguish a console on it. This was what he came for. From here, he could set a signal that would detonate this column as well as a hundred others like it all up and down the ceiling of the facility. Da Vinci, it seemed, had not only built his cities on raised areas, but had done the same to suspend the sheer amount of ice and snow that was carried over their heads. Destroying the column would send a vibration that would destroy the top layer of it as well, which would cause the entire facility to be crushed into nothingness, as well as anyone who was in it. Even if they could have the chance of escaping…say, an immortal vampire for example…they would never be able to dig their way out.

This facility would be lost, but as Darcia had said before, it no longer mattered. Everything was in place. The only thing that truly mattered was that he escaped with his lady, so that they could begin their quest for paradise once the world was turned to ruins. He was nearly to the console himself…

…When he heard a voice call out to him.

"Darcia."

The man immediately halted. He knew that voice. It had come from right behind him. That was surprising, as he had locked out the elevator from anyone else using it until he returned. But now, he stopped and listened.

Without turning, he responded to it. "…I see you've remastered your ability to teleport, Kei."

With that, the dark man turned around to her. She was standing there in the middle of the catwalk between him and the way out. She was clothed in silver still, although she had discarded the mask he prepared for her. Now, her face was glaring at him, full of anger and betrayal.

"…You lied to me."

Darcia simply stared back from behind his mask. "Did I now…"

"You didn't tell me the whole story." Kei accused. "You didn't tell me what you did, who you hurt to get what you wanted. And you didn't tell me that you would make yourself into a god of this new paradise."

"You never asked." Darcia answered calmly. "And let memory serve…I _did_ tell you that I had killed innocent lives to get what I wanted. That I had been blinded and one minded. You just never put two and two together to realize that paradise itself was what I killed for. But now, my motives are pure. I accepted the fact that my lover is dead. Now, my only wish is to gain access to a world where I will no longer feel sadness or pain. The rest of the world will benefit in turn."

"How!" Kei snapped back. "This isn't some inevitable war, this is one you're creating! You'll kill millions! How will they 'benefit'?"

"The path to paradise has never been a peaceful one. Sacrifices must be made in all things. If you could divert a train track that was going to kill ten people to one that would kill only a single person, wouldn't you do it?"

Kei merely frowned. "And it's just a fringe benefit that you get to rule the resulting world, isn't it?"

To this, Darcia did give a slight pause. "Me?" He innocently replied. "What ever gave you that idea? It isn't going to be me who will be the god of this paradise and get to shape it to my own liking. Not at all." The dark man gave pause for emphasis, but then finished.

"It will be _you_."

Kei's anger was immediately deflated. Instead, she was taken aback in surprise. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "…Me? What…what are you talking about?"

"You said you wanted to change the world for the better, Kei. I merely am giving you the opportunity." Darcia calmly answered. "The person who opens paradise reserves the right to remold it to their liking. That person will be you, in wolf form. Once you have opened paradise, the planet will be reshaped to your wishes. You will take your place as its new master. At last, the world can be the peaceful one that you desire to create."

Kei was shocked. She had no idea this was the case. She was stunned into silence, and looked to the ground. However, Darcia continued.

"Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't this what you hoped for? A chance to save the world? Scores of innocent people need not die in this new war, Kei. That is why I have been helping you. You have the power to save those same millions doomed for destruction. In your wolf body, nothing can harm you. Nothing can stand against you. All the innocent of this world will flock to you for protection and mercy. Then you may open the new world of paradise for them. In the world to come, you can ensure that the innocent are guarded and the wicked are punished. No one's thoughts can be secret from you now that your power has increased. You can see the truth in everyone's heart. You can save the lives of those about to die. You can become a goddess. People will worship you and build monuments to your honor in gratitude. And you can take your place as benefactor and protector."

Kei was at a loss for words. She had never expected this. And yet…in the course of gaining control of her power, she had become strong. Indeed, she realized her power now had to border on the level of Tetsuo's when he first broke loose. Even at this state, there was little to nothing that she couldn't do. Mind over matter in all cases. She could do as Darcia said. With her new power, she could save millions... She could heal injuries that were terminal and permanent. She could change the weather to become favorable to all. She could look into a person's heart and know their true motives. No one…no person could stop her. Her experience with Hellsing had proved that. And she was even stronger now. She could do this all…accept his offer…remake a new world… She could be a new founder…a new guiding light… Just like…like…

_...Tetsuo._

Then, at once….Kei's illusion was shattered. She froze where she was and looked down at herself. Slowly, she began to realize something new.

She had changed…but not just in terms of power. Already, she was getting thrilled with her new level of ability…her new wealth of might. Already, the prospect of using it to change the rules and apply it to others thrilled her. Already…she realized that the same fever and drunkenness of power was beginning to overcome her.

She was wrong. Tetsuo had once been like her. But his world was far from paradise. He abused his power to get gratification…to oppress his subjects…to satisfy his sexual lusts…to stroke his own insane ego. The power that he had drove him mad until he neither respected nor loved any other living creature. Even if he hadn't mutated in the end…Kei realized he was still a monster. A far greater and deadlier monster than what he turned into. People…everyone…that put themselves into such a position of absolute authority and power…eventually changed the rules to where they were no longer serving a higher standard, but were serving their own standards. And she knew then and there the same thing would happen to her. Maybe not at first. Maybe the fears of Tetsuo's reign would keep her in check for a time. But not forever. In the end, she would come to realize that nothing else could stand in her way or make her accountable. Then she would do as she wished whenever…

She wasn't becoming a new clandestine ruler. She realized she was coming full circle again. She would be no better than the rest of the rulers of this world, who eventually fell to corruption and ruled their people with fear and power. And in the end…fear only brought anger. Power only brought war. The power she now had…the power that she had longed so much for control over…was now a curse. Now that she learned how to use it…she slowly began to realize the terror that she couldn't unlearn it. It was a part of her. A curse she would deal with forever. A curse she would have to spend every waking moment trying to control and trying to fight, just to maintain her grip on sanity… She had sentenced herself to this same horrible fate, and had doomed all that surrounded her…

In the end…nothing had changed. She was just another terrorist in another form. That was all she had been until now…and after all that had happened it was still all that she was. No matter what she changed, she was still the same. And now…she was doomed to that fate. Without even knowing it, she had passed the point of no return…

_Lupin was right…I am a monster._

…_I wish I had never been born._

Slowly, Kei looked up to Darcia in this new revelation. Her eyes began to well with tears as her body tightened with anger. She balled her hands into fists and glared at him passionately.

"Never." She finally stated. "I won't take that place. It's not mine to take. I made a mistake trusting you in the first place…a mistake I can never undo. I'm going to stop you."

Darcia stared back expressionlessly behind his mask. For a while, he said nothing, and merely looked back at Kei's expression. The full measure of his darkness was out again, but it no longer held sway over the woman. She had fully broken free of it. Now, there was just darkness and silence between the two as they locked eyes. But from beneath his cloak…his hand slowly moved to a button near his belt. His red eyes narrowed…and a sneer slowly began to curl on his lip as he spoke, words laced with venom…

"…I have searched for ten thousand years for a woman like you, Kei. A woman who could fulfill the legend. And I will be damned if I let simple sentiments and fears stop me now."

Darcia immediately pushed the button. The second it did, Kei felt a sharp prick in her neck. A needle had come from the clasp on her cape, and has put itself in her jugular. She reacted in shock, and looked down to it. However, that was as far as she got. Moments later, she moaned once as her eyes drooped. Her legs turned to jelly, and she collapsed to the ground. Within moments, she was unconscious.

Darcia whirled around and back to the console immediately. There was no telling how long that would last. Kei probably didn't know it, but she had just been given a drug that was three times as refined and a hundred times more potent than the basic pills they once gave the subjects of the original Akira project. One of those pills alone would have been stronger than the deadliest nerve gas to a normal human. But to one of Kei's ability, it was barely able to act as a sedative. Darcia had recalled once that, near the peak of his power, Tetsuo had inhaled the most powerful biological agent known to the United States Military, and all that had resulted was a slight retardation of his power for a few hours. As such, he had no idea how long Kei would be out. But all she had to be was long enough for him to do this…

Darcia was at the console. Immediately, he reached over and activated the menu, going to the section for operations. Once there, he quickly highlighted and selected the auto-destruct sequence. His fingers flew over the password and the time entry, selecting the thirty minute option. At last, he hit execute, and the screen lit up.

* * *

**WARNING**

**Pillar Destruction Sequence Engaged**

**Facility will be destroyed in T-Minus 30 minutes**

**30:00**

* * *

_It is done._

As the clock began to tick down, Darcia turned back to Kei. Apparently…it seemed their hand was now forced. Things would be more complicated now. He was, to a degree…upset. She had been the key. He knew that she was. This was her destiny and his, and yet she threw it back in his face. He didn't know why she was being so stubborn, but it no longer mattered. There was still one thing left to be done. One last plan to ensure success…

Darcia began to move over to Kei's fallen body. As he did, he reached up and motioned to the guards at the door. They immediately began to walk over to him. As they did…he reached to his side and pulled out an empty syringe…

* * *

"Well, it appears we have some good news for you four."

The four prisoners turned and looked up to the enemy clones. They were getting impatient for Kei to come back and free them at this point…assuming that she would come back. However, their attention was now focused on their opponents, who were still standing there and watching them.

"And some bad news…" Washu's former lover spoke with a malicious grin.

Lupin groaned and rolled his eyes. "What's the good news?"

"You all will be free in less than thirty minutes." Kikyo answered.

"And the bad news?"

"You'll be free only because your bindings will be destroyed…along with this room and the rest of the facility." Lupin the Second explained.

"The auto-destruct sequence has been engaged." Miss Deep continued, grinning. "Soon, everything in here will be dead."

The group members received their latest unpleasant surprise. Inuyasha stared only a moment, before scowling and beginning to struggle furiously against his binds anew. Lupin turned a shade pale, as did Yomiko. Washu likewise began to sweat, for once seeming to be caught totally off guard. At last, the bookworm of the group blinked and looked to the clones in confusion.

"But…you all will be destroyed too."

"It doesn't matter." Kikyo answered. "Our genetic programming makes our one desire to live and die for Lord Darcia and Lady Kei. If they wish for us to die with this facility, then so be it."

Inuyasha fumed and looked ready to rip his body into pieces escaping. "Damn it all to hell! Isn't there any way out of these damn things!"

As if in response, however, something suddenly happened. A tearing sound was heard behind the members of the group. At once, all four of them froze and went silent. They turned their heads behind them, and saw that something was happening to the metal. It was…ripping. Breaking. Something was forcing itself out from behind it. But not just in one place, but in several places. The enemy clones likewise saw this, and stared in puzzlement.

The metal finally broke, and when it did, the group was surprised at what they saw. It looked like…tree roots. Out of each of the openings around the group, tree roots were coming forth. More openings began to be punctured in the steel, and as it was more tree roots emerged and came out. They quickly began to extend, growing and branching and becoming wider as they did so. They snaked through the air and around the group members, as more holes opened around them. Soon each was surrounded by dozens of holes, and each one had a root coming out of it. Slowly, the roots snaked toward them and toward their binds.

When they reached them, the tips of the roots pierced the metal. It resisted a bit, but soon it forced its way in just as before. But it wasn't just in one spot. More and more places began to be pierced as well, all up and down all of the metal binds. As the roots branched and thickened, even more places were struck than before. Roots wound around the metal binders as well, and fixated themselves as they continued to thick. Soon, the group found their braces covered with roots, and they looked to be more bound with roots than with metal. The roots continued to worm their way around, up and down all of the imprisoning chains, until they were fully interlaced.

"What is this?" Lupin the Second announced in confusion.

He soon got his answer. For moments later, the metal over the group ripped apart as a massive white serpent smashed his way through. His huge shape snaked through the air and then landed on the ground. His long sinewy body thrashed as he planted himself on his four claws, and his great white and green head glared at the four clones before it. It was a white dragon…and the other group members immediately recognized it as he entered.

"Kohaku!"

They received another good surprise a moment later. Abruptly, all of the interlaced roots swelled and pulled. In a hundred different directions, their restraints were soon experiencing forces pulling on them. Roots pushed against the insides, pulled at the weak points, and wormed their way into any place that still resisted. It lasted only a few seconds…before as one all of their restraints shattered like so much glass. The power normally would have sent metal pieces flying everywhere, but the roots held onto them as they broke, and once they were free simply dropped the pieces to the sides.

Inuyasha grinned in delight. Without hesitating, he stepped forward and smacked the lights away. They shattered as they clattered to the ground. Immediately, his eyes regained their yellow color. His ears migrated to the top of his head and became long and furry. His hair turned messy and gray again, and his teeth lengthed. He was soon back in his full hanyou form.

"That's better." He grinned. "Except now I guess I owe a youkai…"

"Kohaku, forget them. We'll deal with them." Washu stated to the white dragon. The beast responded by slightly turning his head back to her. "There's a bomb about to go off. Find their leader and stop it. It's a dark-clothed man in a mask named Darcia."

The white dragon paused a moment, but then gave a nod. Immediately, it leapt into the air and took off. Shooting through the room like a sea snake in water, he swished and swirled through the air and made for the door. Moments later, he was through and had vanished.

"You'll deal with us, will you?" Washu's former lover snickered. "You must be forgetting how easily we beat you all last time. We'll do it again, only this time we're authorized to kill you."

Lupin moaned. "Great, and I don't even have my gun."

"Oh, stop whining!" Inuyasha snapped at him. "I could beat your opponent down with one hand!"

Hearing that, however, Washu suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Hey Red Rover…that's not such a bad idea. We're unnerved when we're fighting our own worst enemies…but against any other opponent we're still at our best. I suggest we switch. I'll take Lupin's dad."

"And I'll beat up the blonde-haired man." Yomiko added.

"Miss Well is mine." Inuyasha grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

"That's 'Miss Deep', you walking hairball!" The woman snapped angrily back at him.

"Alright!" Lupin spoke with a grin. "That leaves the hot babe for me! Let's do it!"

As one, the four of them took off for their new opponents. Fuming and fierce, the clones took off for them at the same time. Soon, the rematch was on.

* * *

The soldier grinned with delight as he finally made it to the medical wing. He had gotten here as quickly as he could in the secret ways. Luckily, no one stopped him. In fact, as he pushed the pallet through the automatic door, he didn't notice anyone inside trying to stop him either. Not that it mattered. He couldn't see anything else but the body anyway. He was eager to have it cleaned…to see how bright and exciting it would be. All other things didn't matter, including that one faraway voice that somewhere was telling him he had to leave the facility immediately… Whatever. Darcia had ordered him to stay with this body, and that's what he would do.

The clone soon had the body pushed inside. Once there, he abandoned his treasure for the moment and went to the nearest freezer. He immediately yanked it open, revealing bags and bags of donor blood stored there for emergency use. The clone grinned with delight as he saw it. He began to grab as much as he could carry. He loaded his arms with bags, not caring that he dropped some on the floor as he did so. Soon he was stuffed with them, and he turned and began to make his way back to the skeleton.

However, he stopped as he did so. For he noticed that he was no longer alone. Four additional soldiers were in the room now. They were unarmed, but they had stopped at the pallet and were looking at him. He hesitated. For a moment…he thought they had come to take his treasure. He wouldn't let them. He would kill them if they tried.

But then, he noticed something else. All of them were eagerly looking at the skeleton. What more, they all had something. Each one had a small bit of flesh in their hands. After they gazed in amazement at the body for a moment, they looked up and saw him. Their faces were eager and overjoyed like his as well. When they saw him, they immediately raised their hands and showed the bits of flesh to him.

"Look!" One cheered.

"Look what we found!"

"They were inside the metal boxes!"

"I think they go to this marvelous thing!"

The soldier froze for a moment, but then his anger was forgotten. Joy replaced it. Yes…of course they went to it! They were the missing pieces! They would make it even more perfect than before! More amazing! Quickly, he nodded to them. "Yes, yes! That will do it! Put them together right away!"

"You bet!"

"Hey, that's blood! That's a good idea!"

Immediately, the clones turned and brought their pieces of flesh together. At first, only two of them touched theirs to one another. However, they soon marveled in delight at what happened. The pieces, once together, immediately began to fuse. Flesh and blood began to grow between them, until the two pieces were connected and became one. Overwhelmed with amazement, the clones excitedly put another piece next to it. The same happened with this one, and the three pieces were now one. The last piece was moved to it next. It too connected. Soon, all were fused together. And once they were, the group marveled at what they saw.

"It's a heart!"

"Oh look! It's beating!"

"Don't just stand there! Put it in him!"

The clone holding it nodded, and immediately reached down and put it into the chest of the skeleton, behind its smoldering, twisted rib cage. Once that was done, the four gently took up the remains, now with a heart, and lifted it up from where it was. They took the bones off of the pallet, and moved it over a bit to one of the medical tubs. It was full body, and it was reserved for when there were fevers and one needed a lot of ice and water in a hurry. Now, they gently placed the bones and heart into it.

That done, they all took bags of blood from the remaining clone, tore them open, and then dumped them in. One by one, they emptied the entire supply of blood into the tub. Once that was done, they ran over and got the bags off the ground and put those in as well. They then reopened the freezer, brought the remaining supplies, and poured those in too. Soon, the skeleton was over halfway submerged in blood. Once that was done, they eagerly gathered around the tub, and waited for something to happen next.

At first, the skeleton just lay there. The heart slowly beat in the chest, vibrating the blood a little. Nothing happened. But then…the heart began to grow. Slowly, it extended a tube from where the aorta should have been, and snaked it up through the chest. The vena cava also began to grow in both directions, growing up and down throughout it. As it did…the heart began to beat faster, and the growing slowly sped up. The clones were transfixed, amazed at this. They watched in total fascination as it happened.

The heart seemed to soak up the blood in the tub, and began to pump it out throughout its growing branches. However, there was a little less blood with each beat. Part of the blood was becoming the new veins and arteries, which now spread down through the abdomen and to the head. Once there, more branches continued to go out to the extremities, and smaller vessels yet extended to the small bits of charred flesh that were still there. They connected new vessels to it, and slowly…the flesh began to thicken and moisten again. The black color slowly gave way to a red, mushy one…and the flesh began to slowly extend outward along the rest of the body.

The blood was halfway gone already, but still it worked. A thin layer of flesh began to coat the skull, and trace inward to the throat. Arteries that branched into the chest began to gather, and slowly thin tissue of coming lungs began to grow. A thin, tight flap of flesh grew over the ribs, and the skeleton itself began to slowly untwist itself. The bones thickened and straightened out again, and they began to grow longer into the body's previous height. Scanty fragments of organs began to form as the flesh covered the abdomen, and thicker ligaments began to form around the limb joint areas, connecting the skeleton together.

Still, the clones were utterly fascinated…entranced by this action. So marveled were they…that they failed to notice the door to the medical center slowly shut behind them…and lock once it did so. They cared only for the skeleton.

The blood was nearly gone at this point. By now, a thin layer of red, moist flesh covered the inner body. Ligaments and the beginnings of muscle anchored everything together. The massater and digastric muscles were now visible in the jaw…and to the amazement of the clones, the jaw slowly began to move open and shut. Wrinkled bags formed within the empty sockets of the skull, and they slowly began to fill with clear fluid. The heart vanished as the flesh became thick enough on the chest to cover it, and flesh began to extend over the shoulders as well. But by then…the blood was gone. Abruptly, the growth stopped, and the body was left a mostly dessicated corpse. The skeleton was still visible in some places, but that was all that there was.

The clones were still amazed. Their eyes were wide and looking over this marvel. The heart still beat, and the jaw still barely opened and closed. They were overwhelmed. This wonderful thing…this amazing, incredible thing…they had found it in the silver! How magnificent! Their lord would be well pleased with them for having fixed it up like this, for having made it almost just like new. He would be amazed to see it. They watched it as its face moved…and suddenly, they heard a breath escape from its lips. The slightest hint of a sound came out.

One of the clones stopped. "Listen! It's trying to say something!"

The clones immediately went silent, and listened for something else. The thing continued to exhale air, but that was all it could do. The sound was too faint. At last, one of the clones turned to the others and gestured to them to be quiet. Then, turning back to the thing, he lowered his head in as far as he could to the corpse's face. He turned his head to the side and listened over its mouth, waiting to try and hear what interesting and incredible thing it had to say. For a moment, it only heard air, and the same low moans. The other clones waited earnestly, listening for what their partner would tell them.

Then, at last, the corpse did do something.

Seeming to use all the strength it had gathered, it threw its arms up abruptly and seized the head and neck of the clone. Using its last bit of power, it moved its dried out head to the neck, opened its mouth wide, and sank its teeth into the clone's neck.

At once…the spell was over. As the clone in the tub screamed in agony, the other clones shook their heads…and wondered what they were doing here. They had been wandering as if in a dream until now, thinking only of the flesh and bones of what they had. But now…they were awake. What in the world were they thinking? This horrible, grotesque monster…it was fascinating? It was wonderful? Why had they done this? They had been so obsessed with bringing it here…reviving it… Why? They couldn't remember. All they could remember was a powerful force in each of them driving them to do this, and their weak minds were helpless to obey. But now…they sank into horror…fear and terror of what they had done. And now, that terror was moving. They stared in open-mouthed shock at the monstrous sight before them.

The corpse had no strength left…but not for long. As blood began to slide down its ragged, barely functional throat…its strength grew back. The hands tightened into a grip as muscles started to stretch out over them again. Flesh that had been torn open by the impact of the clone now healed itself again and thickened. The moist red mush covered the rest of its arms and legs, although veins, arteries, and muscles were still visible beneath. The sacks in its skull filled full of fluid, as the space between its teeth began to flesh out with more material. Soon, it had power again. Not much, but it did have power. Within seconds, the skeleton was now wrapped in a thin sheet of flesh, and the first clone was dry. Making a ragged hacking sound, the thing spat it out and threw the clone to one side. Then, it planted its bony hands on the sides of the tub and pulled itself up into a seated position.

Despite their new terror and fear at this creature, one of the clones, quivering and trembling, managed to look for his gun. But it was gone. All of them abandoned their guns before coming here. Instead, he went for the next best thing. He pulled out his combat knife and plunged it forward into the thing's chest. The blade sunk in easily…but missed the heart. The man had been too shocked to aim for it. In response, the creature, not seeming to care that it now had a knife stuck in its chest, wheeled around and hissed at the man. Immediately, he went white with terror, and was petrified. It moved its bony hand to the wrist that stuck the knife in its chest, ripped it and the knife away, and then swung out another bony fist to backhand the man across the face. The power was strong enough to leave him dazzled, and he slumped to the ground. However, the thing still had his wrist…and it raised it to its tooth-filled mouth and bit in. Soon, more blood was pouring down its now completed, if thin, throat.

The other clones, too terrified to stay, turned and ran for the door. As they did, the corpse drained the newest clone dry. The sacks began to turn white and form pupils. The essential muscles finished fleshing out, and began to thicken and strengthen. Skin and fat gathered around the mouth and sockets to pad the eyes and form lips. The muscles and ligaments vanished, although veins and arteries were still visible. The thing began to form gums as its organs grew and strengthened. But after that, it was again out of blood. It tossed the useless arm out of the way…and turned its newly formed eyes sinisterly toward the remaining clones.

They were now pounding at the door, struggling to get out. But it was locked now. Still, they dared not look back at the thing, which was now a fleshy body and not a corpse. The thing itself continued to glare at them as it easily flipped itself out of the tub and to the ground. Its strength had doubled now. It was easily stronger than any one of them. Their one chance to kill it again had passed. Now on the floor, the thing rose to its fleshy feet and began to walk forward, not caring that it left bits of muscle and blood behind in its wake. It was calm in its gait, knowing already that there was no escape for its victims. Soon, it reached them, while they were still so filled with terror that they didn't even know it. Reaching out, it seized one of them by the shoulder and spun them around. The clone could only look in terror a moment before the corpse came forward and sank its teeth into this one's neck.

The other clones were white and backed away from it, babbling hysterically and screaming as they did so. One began to cry for help, while the other knocked aside materials and steel furnishing as he backed up…until he tripped over one of the dead bodies. As the corpse engorged itself on its latest meal, the muscles finished thickening. It was soon swelled with powerful, strong muscle. Thin skin now began to stretch over the body as its eyes turned a yellow color. The skin was red and frail, and only managed to cover about half of it. But now, the lips of the thing had formed enough to give it a face. As it finished the clone, it dropped it to the ground and straightened up. It exhaled a large, satisfied sigh, and wiped its mouth and licked each of its fingers. That done, it looked back down and ahead. Suddenly, it spoke…its voice ragged and wet, but distinctly there.

"Now…where was I?"

The other clone took off and ran to the other side of the room. The one on the ground attempted to drag himself away…when the fleshy body turned and focused on him. Its lips formed a grin, and its teeth flashed ravenously. Suddenly, it snapped all the way around, and lunged for him. The movement was incredibly fast. One moment, it was at the door…and the next the man saw it right in front of him. He gagged and choked, beginning to hyperventilate as he urinated in his pants and stared in terror.

"Salutations, snack." The fleshy body addressed…before once again engorging itself on a feast of blood.

While this happened, the final clone made one break for it. He ran to the door and to a panel on the side of it. Mind blinded with terror, he desperately clawed at a panel on the side of it. He fumbled a few times, and he had to pry it off for it was mounted on metal hinges. But he didn't care. At the price of drawing more blood from his fingers, he managed to rip the metal plating off. The override was inside. Quickly, he reached in and began to fumble for it…but his fingers wouldn't work…

"Oh, tsk, tsk, tsk… What a bad waste of perfectly good blood."

The clone froze…feeling an icy chill behind him. Instantly, he stopped his task. He slowly turned around, his heart seeming to freeze and his lungs turned to stone. As he did…he slowly saw the creature one more time. It was a male now…for those parts had also regenerated at this point. Most of its skin was replaced, and he now looked at its face as a mixture of flesh and pale, white skin. Just the same, his yellow eyes glared at him, and his lips were spread into a great big smile.

"Hello, sugar." He spoke. "How come you taste so good?"

The clone couldn't answer, and didn't have the chance anyway, before he drove his teeth into his neck and drained him dry.

The thing was fast now, easily sucking all the blood out in a few gulps. To be honest…when one engorged themselves this much…the taste got to you. Once done, he let the drained body fall and stretched back up, throwing his head back. As he did, strands of black hair fluttered behind him, already growing from his scalp. The skin finished enclosing his body, and began to go from white to a healthier beige color. It was still pale, but it did the job. His fingers, now possessing nails, went up to his head and brushed back his freshly reformed eyebrows, traced back along his filling out ears, and swept back his new head of hair as it finished growing. Soon, the fleshy body was no more. All that was left was the oldest vampire.

Alucard hesitated a moment, but then spat. Never had he tasted something like that. All of their blood tasted the same. He snorted at the thought of clones. He didn't think anything could spoil his appetite for blood, but evidently he was wrong. If he ever tasted genuine Daniel Boone again, he thought he'd vomit. At any rate, they did their task. First, their weak minds were perfect for his consciousness to reach out and control to arrange the rebuilding of his body. Second, their blood aided in his regeneration. Now he was at full strength again.

Alucard looked down and at his body, and frowned. He looked up and looked around at the situation…only to find that all that was available were the uniforms of his victims. He snorted, but realized he had no choice. He wasn't going to run around naked. At any rate, once he was clothed, he could transmute the fabric to more of his traditional attire. He would have liked having his guns as well, but no doubt they were destroyed or reserved for the special use of the Darcia character.

_Ah…Darcia._

What an ingenious little clone Darcia was. Alucard had never encountered anyone who tried to exploit so many of his weaknesses at once. Pity he had done so much that he failed to do the most crucial part…cutting his head off. Had he done that, and stuffed the stump with holy wafers or garlic, he _might_ not have been able to use what was left of his power to stretch out his consciousness and escape. Sure enough, if he had stayed sealed in that silver mold for another day or so, he might just have finally died. Nevertheless…he would pay for that. Alucard respected anyone who managed to reduce him to the state he was in five minutes ago. But he would still die for giving him the insult of having a mere human do this to him.

Alucard wasted no more time brooding, but rushed over to his nearest corpse and began to take off its clothing.

* * *

D swung his blade furiously at Alucard. His face was now a mess of bruises and blood, but still he fought on. His strength was failing, but his remaining arm regained enough power to grab onto his sword again. That allowed him to compensate for power and speed for the moment, but not for much longer.

At last, Alucard had an opening. He darted forward and punched D in the throat. The vampire hunter gagged and spat out more blood, before Alucard backhanded him across the face, slamming him to the ground like a ton of bricks. Yet D still wasn't finished. No sooner had he painfully landed then he flipped back up using a counter move he had learned years ago. Soon, he was back on his feet and lunging right back for Alucard like a sock-em clown. Alucard gaped and quickly moved back, but not before D drove the tip of his sword forward and cut a C-shaped slash into his upper left chest.

Alucard looked down at his chest at that, noticing the cut into his fabric and the blood now flowing from it. It was an external cut…but it was still a cut, and one that wouldn't regenerate. That was the last straw. When Alucard looked back up to him, his monstrous canines were gnashed like he was a beast rather than a man. Again, he lunged for D. The vampire hunter, seeing that he was blinded by anger, realized he might have another chance at a good hit. He swiped his blade down on the incoming vampire, hoping to do more critical damage.

_...Idiot…_

D said this to himself a moment too late. This clone wasn't as wise as Alucard, but it was smart. It intended for D to bring his blade down on him. Rather than dart back, Alucard brought up one hand to the blade as it came down, and moments later, to D's surprise, he performed a blade catch…with two fingers rather than two hands. The hunter froze for a moment, though he didn't reveal his amazement. As for Alucard, he grinned menacingly at him for a moment, before swinging his other fist around and smashing it full force into the flat side of the blade. Immediately…his nodachi shattered into five pieces.

D staggered back from the sudden move, and looked up to his hand. Only the hilt was there now, and he uselessly flung it aside. Alucard himself simply flicked away the blade in his own hand as the other shards fell to the ground. Then…he was on D again. The vampire hunter didn't even see Alucard move before he was belted across the face. But that wasn't all. He was smashed on the other side of the face, punched in the throat, and then pounded so hard in the stomach he flew back a few feet.

Soon, Alucard was beating the life out of him. He moved so fast that he was a blur, and it seemed as if the blows smashed into D in a continuous stream rather than one at a time. He could barely register the pain from one punch before another one hit him. Each one was like having a cannon fired into him. He felt his bones sag and crunch under the power, and his body was flung around like a useless rag doll. Alucard's bloodlust increased as he grinned in delight. He smashed into D again and again, making his hands bloody from the bruises and gashes. Blood was spat on his face, and he earnestly licked it up as he continued to beat D around. He hit him so hard and fast that D was torn off the floor and suspended, hovering off the ground.

Finally, Alucard seized him by the neck. Twisting around, he rotated and smashed D full force into the metal floor. The ground swelled and cracked beneath him, despite being made of metal. He then swung D over his head, making sure to crush his windpipe as he did so, and smashed him again into the ground. Finally, while digging his nails into his flesh, Alucard grinned at the bashed, bloody, swollen face of D…almost unrecognizable now…and viciously flung him across the room. The force was so great that when he smashed into the wall, his body tore through it like he was a cannon shot as well. He erupted through the other side, tumbled through the air…and finally sprawled out on his back on a pile of sharp metal.

D groaned and grunted, and was unable to move. His own regeneration threshold was almost gone. Now, his body, almost every bone broken in it via Alucard's bare hands, struggled to put itself back together before worrying about the gashes and bruises that covered the rest of it. His hat was gone, exposing his bloody, cracked face. The skull was broken in five places, and parts of it were smashed in. Any other human would have died by now. D lived to feel all the accompanying pain. If that wasn't enough…the shards of metal were cutting through his clothes and into his back. His flesh wouldn't move. There wasn't the power…or even the intactness…to allow it to move. All he could do was lay there…and look ahead into the darkness. Already, he felt it growing cold around him again. Already, he felt the darkness looming more greatly in front of him, as his barely beating heart froze in his chest…

Slowly, seeming to come out of black mist, Alucard materialized in front of him. He grinned down and glared at him ravenously. He now had his own blood as well as D's dotting over him, decorating his already red clothes. The vampire clone stared at him a moment longer…but then stepped forward calmly to D's fallen body. He crouched down in front of him, over his smashed legs and lower torso, and seized him by the throat, although he didn't crush it this time.

"You know, D…my master wanted you alive, but at this point I'm authorized to kill you." The clone informed him. "Looks like I'll be healing myself with your blood. It doesn't really matter, however. This facility only has about twenty minutes left until it is blown to hell." He grinned wider at this, leaning in closer to the fallen, broken hunter, nearly pressing himself down on him.

"At least you finally got your fight against Alucard that you so desperately craved. Pity you did so terrible. Your bitch mother wouldn't be pleased."

D glared at him a moment longer, weakly beneath his swollen eyes. His face was calm and moaned a bit underneath all the pain. But at last, he did answer…in his normal, calm, unstrained voice.

"…You're not Alucard… He wouldn't have lost to me, because he would have watched his surroundings…"

The clone, on hearing this, turned to puzzlement for a moment, wondering what this meant. In another moment, he would have grinned and laughed that D was delusional. However…a sharp stabbing pain through his chest, heart, and through to the other side…cut off his thought process. At once, Alucard's confident, yellow eyes turned to shock. His mouth hung open…and blood slowly began to drip from it. D never flinched or even increased his heartbeat. He merely stared calmly the whole time. But Alucard himself slowly looked down to his chest, to see what had happened…

The real Alucard would have most certainly won, D knew…because he would have been reading D's actions the whole time to see what his next move would be. He would have kept his eyes open and aware of all things at all times in the fight. Vampires were renown for their arrogance, which seemed to increase along with their wisdom and age. But the reason Alucard was alive this long was because in addition to his confidence he used his brain. If the clone had done the same…he would have seen that the first time he smashed D to the ground, he did it right on top of one of D's sword shards. He would have seen that despite the agony and broken bones, D was able to take up this shard before he was flung into the ground again. He would have known that D's calm, cool expression was hiding his plan to stab Alucard in the heart the moment he came to gloat over him. And so he had. The clone looked down and saw that D's own bloody hand had run him clean through the heart and to the other side with the sword fragment.

Alucard gagged, totally amazed. Despite being a clone, his arrogance was still there. And he couldn't believe he had lost…believed that he had been foiled so easily. Slowly, he stumbled back off of D's body, and rose to his feet. He staggered around, still looking at his chest in utter astonishment at what had happened. He hesitated a moment, but then reached down and seized the blade and attempted to pull it out. What he got instead was his fingers cut off. The only reason D did it was because he managed to hold it in the middle, another tool of experience. He had still cut himself regardless. The blade was a double-sided razor. And what Alucard just tried was the reason D preferred swords to stakes or projectiles. Too often, some old vampire got pierced through the heart only to pull it out and get twice as mad at you.

D moved quickly too. His legs were still healing, but he had to go as fast as his broken body could, he stumbled forward onto all fours. Half crawling, half dragging, he made his way over to the next nearest shard of his weapon. This one was the handle of his sword, but still had a broken blade attached to it. D had to throw it away rather than fight with it before. If he hadn't, Alucard would have realized what he was planning. Now he went over to it and seized the end. Quickly, he struggled to get to his feet, ignoring the fact that some bones broke again. He merely locked them as best as he could and rose up, staggering as he did and making his way to Alucard.

As he did, the vampire, blood still pouring from its chest, finally got the right idea. He slammed his palms together against the side of the blade, forming a blade catch position. Then…he began to pull, meaning to rip it back out of his chest. But even as he began to, he noticed a shadow fall over him. He turned and looked, and saw that D was now standing and looking over him. His face was still bloody and swollen, but had reshaped back to its original shape. It glared at him darkly now…and in one arm his hand was risen. The clone glared at him one last time in shock and terror…before D brought his blade down and cut off the clone's head.

It was over.

Immediately, Alucard's hands fell to the side, and the headless body collapsed to the ground right after the head landed. D, expressionless and having stopped panting, turned away darkly and moved to the nearest wall. He paid no more mind to the clone. After all…there was no feeling tied to killing an image, no matter how realistic it had been. He didn't even care as the clone slowly began to melt as the Ubaba clone had. Alucard's last expression of agony began to distort and sag as the skull beneath collapsed in on itself. The rest of the body sank under the weight of the clothing, and foul smoke began to rise from the body. D didn't care. He reached a wall and propped himself up against it. There, he waited for a few moments until his legs finished connecting. Once they were done, he would move on. There was still Alucard's last words to deal with, as well as the others…

"…Are you ready?"

"Ugh…hack…nice to see you too… No 'how are you doing'? No 'thank you for inhaling the shot that would have ripped me in half at great personal cost and pain'?"

"Are you?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Then let's be off. We haven't much time, and now I have no weapon."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	14. The Rose Man

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

"Hello! I'm Chibi Washu! You must be Lupin's dad."

The clone thief merely grit his teeth. "Shut up, you stupid twit!" With that, the clone reached to his side and pulled out a gun. Washu immediately saw it as the same German luger that Lupin carried. In fact…it probably was the same gun. He probably lifted it from him.

However, Washu merely smiled and waved her finger in a no-no position. "I don't think that's such a good idea. You see, I'm well prepared for Earth projectiles."

The man merely sneered, and then opened fire. Washu, on her part, merely yawned and stood plainly there. Each bullet that was fired ended up seeming to disappear into nothing six inches before hitting Washu, only to reappear six inches behind her, and sail harmlessly into the back wall. After enduring this for a moment, Washu calmly looked at her watch, seemed to realize it was getting late, and then began to look around the area. "Now, where did I put that… Oh yeah, right here!" With that, she seemed to reach out and dip her hand into a pocket of reality. From there, she started to fish around and look for something inside as if she was scrounging around in some desk drawer for something.

Meanwhile, Lupin the Second stopped firing, and looked up in puzzlement at what had happened. He was out of bullets anyway, and stunned that he had done nothing. Moments later, however, Washu brightened up as she seized something.

"Ah! Here it is!"

The small scientist gave a mighty tug, and with incredible effort yanked out a huge, multi-cabled apparatus from inside the pocket of reality. Lupin the Second stared on confused for a moment, as Washu turned to him. Then, like she was rolling out a carpet, she flung the cables to the ground and unrolled them toward the clone. He looked down to them as they neared his feet…and watched blankly as they began to hum and glow, coming to life. Yellow light began to come from around them…and abruptly they acted.

A six-by-six yellow grid of energy light suddenly sprang up behind Lupin the Second. Immediately, it sucked the clone to him like he was made of metal and it was a magnet. He slammed against this new energy wall a bit later, and was immediately dazzled by the sudden impact as he was sprawled against it. The gun toppled out of his hand as he went limp. However, that only dazed him a second. He shook his head a moment later, and then looked up angrily. He struggled to yank himself off of the energy wall, but to no avail. He finally glared back down at the scientist. "What is this!" He angrily demanded.

"You like it?" Washu asked innocently with a big smile. "I built this about a year back to help one of my friends keep from being erased from existence by one of those time paradoxes that cause so many problems. It creates a separate section of reality around the individual to keep them from being affected by time's flow. However, I asked myself after that little adventure was over with, if I can make something that negates the effects of time, why couldn't I make something that runs time independently?"

Washu sighed a bit at this and shrugged. "Well, as it turns out, doing that could rupture the whole space-time continuum and confound quantum mechanics as we know it for at least this solar system. At least, on a large scale. However, I was able to modify this device to control time, making it flow forward and backward for an individual within, for up to three days. Now tell me, Mr. Lupin the Second…" Here, Washu leaned over and smiled cheerfully. "How many days ago was it that you were cloned?"

The thief immediately went white as a ghost. He viciously tried to struggle to get off of the grid, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Washu whistled a little tune to herself from her favorite soap opera as she reached into the pocket of reality again and emerged with a remote. She turned the dial fully in reverse, proceeded to press the button, and then looked up to see what the result would be.

The clone struggled one last time before giving out a cry of anguish. But it was too late. Immediately, his body seemed to become translucent. The hair, flesh, and everything else…turned instantly into some sort of pink, semi-solid, clear liquid. It was like a cartoon flash, like some movie where the evil witch waves her hand against the hero, and a snap later and they turn to stone. Only in this case, it was this material. For a brief moment, the liquid stayed there, hovering in mid-air frozen in the shape of Lupin the Second's clone. But then gravity took over, and the liquid went rushing out and fell to the floor with a great wet splash. The clothes alone were left hanging from the grid.

Washu looked over this, obviously pleased with the result. She looked down to the floor and saw the liquid. For a moment, she thought of pulling out her handy liquid vacuum to clean up the mess. But that wasn't necessary. It looked like it was evaporating already. The scientist blinked at this, a bit surprised. The previous clones stuck around after they were killed. But she supposed that the newest models took into account that someone would try to kill a clone and then use the DNA model to make their own. If they were trying to corner the military market, then that was a real problem. Someone who bought troops would simply use their DNA to make their own clones, and cut out the "middleman" in this sense. It was an interesting effect. It made Washu wonder if there were other things that would trigger this reaction…

But she ignored that for now. Resuming the soap opera theme song again, she began to repack her device.

* * *

"I better warn you ahead of time to surrender."

"Overconfident brat…" The blonde-haired clone merely replied. Quickly, he reached to his side and pulled out what looked to be just a plain and simple sword handle. But a moment later, it erupted into a meter-long, green blade of energy. It looked like a lightsaber to Yomiko, although a chi-focusing blade would be a more appropriate term. The clone waved it a few times to accentuate his skill, and then aimed it at the girl.

The Paper responded with a dark frown. Her briefcase had been lost to her, but since the first incident with IGen she came more prepared. She immediately flung open her trench coat, revealing, not rows of guns as some traditional heroes would have, but rows of paper stored in pockets along them. Immediately, she crossed her arms in front of her and seized stacks of it. She yanked them out and maneuvered her hands wildly as she did so, turning them around and folding them. When the din was done, some of the papers fell to the ground, but others were now folded into a paper shield in one hand, and a shortsword in Yomiko's other hand.

The clone merely sneered. "Oh please. I can cut through metal with this blade. You think your origami is going to save you?" With that, he dashed forward, brought his blade back, and prepared to cleave Yomiko in half with one blow…

_Krish!_

Much to his surprise, the Paper had responded by simply raising her shield and blocking it. And despite the nature of the blade and nature of the paper, the shield actually guarded her. The clone was stunned and stared in open-mouthed shock. Yomiko smiled in response.

"I change the nature of the paper I fold too."

The man grit his teeth, and immediately shot back. Quickly, he darted forward again with numerous jabs. Yomiko quickly reacted. She deflected hit after hit with her shield, and endured his strikes for a moment. When he raised his blade and prepared a downward strike, Yomiko quickly darted in and slashed at his side with her paper sword. As if it was as deadly as D's blade, the weapon drew blood, and the man cried out and faltered a moment. But now, he was twice as mad. The clone held his injured side for a moment, letting blood flow between his fingers. Then, he looked up, and renewed his assault.

Yomiko was soon forced back as the man barraged her with blows. She wasn't an especially strong girl, and she couldn't stand up to it that easily. Plus, her paper wasn't invulnerable. Soon it began to develop scorch marks alongside the surface. However, she was hardly a pushover either. Yomiko halted the advance by abruptly deflecting a blow and diving for the man's middle with a thrust. He was forced to halt, step back, and deflect this blow downward as well. Yomiko tried to smash him in the head with her shield next, and again the man was forced to raise his sword and deflect. Soon, the two were swapping blows with each other rather than carrying out their respective assault.

That ended, however, when Yomiko pushed away an overhead chop by the clone. When she did, she darted forward toward the man and past him, slashing up as she did so. A great gash was cut into his leg, and blood splattered as a result. Furious, the clone grabbed his leg in agony. But he wasn't done. He spun around and faced the Paper as she righted herself. He swung his blade down again on her, meaning to split her in two. Quickly, Yomiko brought both her sword and shield over her head, and caught the blade. However, she wasn't too strong…and soon felt herself beginning to sweat and buckle under it. The blade itself continued to burn into her paper, starting to work its way through the shield and to the sword beneath.

Finally, Yomiko managed to leap back out from under the chop, and then let go. The man brought his full force down to the floor harmlessly, but had used so much power that he couldn't recover. Yomiko took advantage by darting forward and slicing across his face, gashing open his chin.

That was the last straw. After that latest pain, the clone's eyes filled with rage and he yelled a war cry. As he did, the chi blade suddenly flared up in power, becoming thicker, brighter, and stronger. Yomiko gaped at this, and grew nervous. The man slashed at her again, and quickly she guarded herself. But her luck seemed to run out. The new blade was fueled with passion and anger, and was too strong. It cut through the paper like a hot knife through butter, and soon Yomiko's weapons were dashed apart and set aflame. The Paper cried out in a bit of surprise at this, and found herself thrown off balance by this. She fell backward and landed on her rear. She stumbled back, and quickly spread out her hands to right herself and hold up.

Yet she had no sooner caught herself then she found the clone pointing his blade, dimmer now, right at her throat. Yomiko stared at this and swallowed. Cold sweat began to pour from her brow, and her glasses began to fog. The bleeding clone towered over her and grinned darkly.

"You should have stayed with your books, little girl."

The man brought his sword back and prepared to drive it into her. However, Yomiko realized just at that point where she was. She was on top of the papers she had scattered earlier. There were several sheets over both hands. Quickly, she scooped them up in her still sprawled hands and began to fold as fast as she could…

Moments later, the clone drove his sword forward. The Paper finished just in time. She swept out with a paper knife and deflected the blade away from her face, just singing a hair with it. The clone was surprised at this…but not nearly so much as when her other hand shot up and flung a second paper knife right into his chest. It plunged in and sank to the hilt, and there it remained. The man gagged. His eyes widened with surprise. He looked down over his body, and saw blood already beginning to turn the white paper red. He looked up to Yomiko one last time, seeing her staring at him with wide and fearful eyes, nervous at how she had narrowly escaped death. Then, his hands fell, releasing his sword (which reverted back into a handle), fell to his knees, and then fell over and collapsed.

Yomiko exhaled a great sigh of relief. She reached up and removed her glasses, and quickly used the edge of her coat to wipe them off. She replaced them a moment later…and fell back in horror, yelping and nearly fainting as she did so. When she looked at the clone again, she discovered to her shock that he was melting and vaporizing.

* * *

_Why do I always get the hard ones?_

Inuyasha grumbled this thought to himself as he slashed at Miss Deep like a madman. His claws darted in and out again and again all around her, struggling to cut into her flesh. However, she merely smiled in reply and let his claws go harmlessly through her. She also continued to move around, and supplemented with her own jabs and punches. They connected each time, but luckily Inuyasha could take a sword through the arm and merely glare at you in irritation. Her blows were just that, an irritation. But it was still frustrating, and he was wondering how he was going to be able to wipe that smile off of her face.

_If there's one thing I can't stand…it's humans with special powers. If only this bitch was a demon I could use Tetsusaiga on her…_

"You _are_ trying to hit me, aren't you?" Miss Deep mocked as she phased through Inuyasha's latest blow, and then gave him a mocking slap across the face. The hanyou boiled in anger at that, but realized that a direct assault wasn't getting anywhere. Quickly, he leapt back and away from her a good distance. There, he balled his claws into fists and glared at her. She, on her part, simply came to a stop and smiled cruelly at him, mocking her with her eyes.

Inuyasha was close to boiling with anger at this point. He had been turned into a human, beaten, chained up, and taunted to the point of insane rage. And now, he could even slice up one simple human. His anger was growing by the moment, and his own yellow eyes blazed with fury. But Miss Deep merely smiled at him and stood plainly.

"What's the matter, boy?" She asked in a taunting tone. "Is the widdle puppy getting upset? Or did that one time of chasing your own tail for a few hours on end finally teach you the meaning of futility?"

Inuyasha growled deeply in his throat. Alright…that did it. He had had enough of clones, mutants, guns, weapons, magic lights, witches, this whole cruddy century, and _especially_ being treated like a damn dog. This was it.

The hanyou snarled one more time, and then twisted around and dug his talons into his own side. The woman's smile vanished, and she reacted in confusion to this. However, while she stood there, the hanyou took careful aim at her, and then let fly. Moments later, his wrist snapped out, and great arcs of blood cut through the air and sailed straight for the woman. She blinked in astonishment a moment, wondering what this could possibly mean. However…she got her answer just as quickly. The blood reached her, and most of it darted all around her. However, two of the blood arcs went against her shoulder and leg. When they did, she discovered that the blood lines might as well have been knives, for they sliced into her tender flesh and left large cuts of their own. She had been so shocked by this move that she hadn't time to phase, and now she had sustained real damage. She winced in pain and recoiled for a moment.

Once the attack had passed, the clone looked in shock at her now bleeding wounds, amazed that she had been damaged by blood. She looked back up to Inuyasha, and saw he was already dipping his talons into his side wound again. With another flick, he threw his blood at her again. This time, however, Miss Deep was ready. Gritting her teeth, she crossed her arms in front of herself and phased. The blood sailed harmlessly through her this time, shooting through her phasing body and cutting into the wall on the opposite side. Soon, the onslaught was done, and she was clear again.

Miss Deep slowly lowered her arms, preparing to focus on her opponent again. However, no sooner had she done so then she received another surprise. He was gone, no longer in his last position. It took only a moment for the clone to register where he was…but that was a moment too late for her. All she could see was his feet dangling in front of her face, and a moment later heard something yelled in ancient Japanese over her head before streaks of light shot over her and through her body.

The clone was frozen in surprise, and did not move, as Inuyasha raked his claws down across her body and to the ground. His blades of blood were just diversions. He knew she would focus on phasing through them, and that she couldn't match his hanyou speed when he leapt up and delivered the final blow. Now, the clone stared up emptily and in amazement at the hanyou as he touched down. He crouched for a moment longer, but then raised back up to his feet, and glared at her with still-burning anger.

"There is nothing I hate more…then being treated like a dog."

Miss Deep heard that, but was unable to respond or do anything else. In the next second, her body fell into five long slivers, how many sections Inuyasha had sliced her into when he raked her with his four claws. Her remains collapsed to the ground, and they too instantly began to melt as did the others, while Inuyasha snorted and turned away from his fallen opponent.

* * *

"Say, I know a great Japanese grill, and call it male intuition but I think you'd be into that sort of thing."

Kikyo responded with a cold glare and knocking an arrow to her bow. Lupin innocently grinned back for a moment, before she aimed an arrow at him and fired. Luckily, Lupin hadn't been dodging cops and bullets for years to not be able to dodge an arrow. He quickly swiped his head to one side. Nevertheless…he lost much of his confidence and nearly lost an ear when, shortly after firing, the arrow turned into a massive sizzling bolt of energy that shot past him, heating up one side of his head, and punching a hole through the side of the building.

"Whoa!" A sweating, nervous Lupin answered as he straightened back up. "Are those things legal? Someone's been playing too many Zelda games."

Lupin looked back to the clone, who merely frowned at him, knocked another arrow, and fired again. This time, it shot for his manhood. Yelping, the thief quickly jumped off the ground as high as he could, and narrowly missed the sizzling shot obliterating the ground beneath him and creating a rather bottomless pit. When he fell back down, he quickly spread out his legs to straddle the hole and avoid falling in it. The result was that he soon did a splits over the hole with his feet on either side, and his full weight pressing down on the middle. A small cracking sound was heard as he landed, and he turned a bit pale and groaned a bit.

"Ugh…guess I won't be going for a home run anytime soon…" He moaned to himself as he felt his groin muscle begin to ache. He looked back up to Kikyo. "This is probably a bad time to ask, but maybe I just can't read women that well. Could you settle for first base?"

Kikyo grit her teeth and knocked another arrow. "Do you ever shut up!" She blasted as she fired again at him. Lupin paled, and then fell backward. Like some sort of toy mounted on a pole that spanned over an empty space, he rolled around using his legs as an axle, and barely missed the third arrow sailing over his head. Once it went by, Lupin sighed in relief. But that was only for a moment…before he smelled something burning. He sniffed a few times curiously, and then looked up to his pants. He gulped and realized the heat of the last arrow had set his pants on fire right over the middle.

Yelping like mad, Lupin engaged in a superhuman feat and leapt out of the pit using only his oddly shaped legs. However, for a person like Lupin, in a situation involving his most prized possession, he could do such things. Kikyo was soon stunned to see Lupin leap up through the air, sail through the sky, and to her amazement land right on her. Quickly, she discarded her bow and raised her hands to shield herself…only to catch Lupin right in her arms. Then moment she did, Lupin quickly reached down and furiously patted his burning pants out. They soon were smothered, and the thief gave a tremendous sigh of relief.

But then, he noticed where he was sitting. In surprise, he looked up to the woman holding him, and grinned. "Hey! You _do_ care! What did it? My manly charm? My seventies' good looks? My Japanese ancestry?"

Kikyo gnashed her teeth in fury and dropped Lupin in a huff, right next to the edge of the pit she had made. Now fully enraged at the perverted thief, she glared daggers at him for a moment as she tried to figure out how to deal with him. Finally, she reached behind herself and pulled out an arrow from her quiver. She brandished it in front of her like a knife.

Lupin gulped and immediately backed up while still on the ground. But he couldn't go far. The pit was behind him, and he couldn't move anywhere else. He was trapped. He held his hands up in front of him in a stopping motion. "Uh, no thanks. I find a blade tears up my face. That's why I use electric."

Kikyo sneered. "In that case, how about I get rid of the thing you care so much about…and that gets you into the most trouble?" With that, she looked down, and immediately held the arrow and its pointed head down over his mid-section instead…

Lupin paled again. "T-t-that's not necessary! My mother was Jewish!"

However, Kikyo was already reaching back to jab it forward. Lupin was panic stricken and filled with terror. Yet still…there were some things in life worth risking everything for, in his opinion. And this was the only one he could think of right now. And so, a force took over him, and immediately he reached out and seized Kikyo's wrists as they drove the arrow forward. With another acrobatic move, the thief rolled backward, and shoved his legs up as he did so. By doing this, he caught Kikyo in the stomach, and rolled her off the ground and over his head. The clone was shocked by this, but Lupin kept rolling back, continuing to pull her over his head. He kept right on going until she was clear on the other side of him, and then let go. Unfortunately for her…that was right over the pit of her own making. The clone cried out one last time, before she toppled forward and into the pit. Immediately she sank into it and vanished.

Lupin, a bit surprised at what he had done in defense of his own package, sprawled back out on the ground and let out a massive sigh of relief. He lay there for a moment, getting his bearings back. But then…he thought of the clone. He turned over and looked to the side of the pit. However, it was already too late. The hole that Kikyo had made was very deep, going farther than Lupin could see. And the clone had already fallen too far into it. She was gone. The last echoes of her voice were already fading. Lupin blinked again once or twice, but then sighed and smiled.

"Seems like I'm always falling out with women lately…"

In response to that, Lupin felt a piece of cold steel suddenly pushed against his forehead. Immediately, he yelped and snapped to again, practically jumping up where he was and wriggling back furiously. For a moment, he expected another arrow to go sailing toward him. But once he was up, he noticed that it wasn't Kikyo at all. It was Washu, smiling simply at him and holding a gun at him, that had just recently been pointed at his head.

"I think this is yours."

Lupin relaxed again, and let out a sigh of relief. His bladder couldn't take much more of this. Slightly frowning, he reached out and took the gun from Washu's hands. "You know, little alien lady, here on Earth it's not good practice to greet a man by pointing a loaded gun to his head."

"Well then, it's a very good thing I didn't point a loaded gun to your head." Washu simply answered. "Lupin the Second fired off all your bullets."

Lupin's face immediately downturned at this. Grumbling slightly, he tucked the gun back into the holster in his coat pocket.

Inuyasha rose up and walked to the others soon after. Yomiko followed him, gathering up loose sheets of paper as she did so. The four were soon reassembled in the middle of the ravaged, chaos-stricken room. The hanyou dusted his hands off. "I guess that's the last of them. Good riddance to bad rubbish."

"That shouldn't be the last of them." Yomiko interjected. "This place should be filled with clones, remember? Now that we've beaten these guys, they should all be coming in."

"True," Washu acknowledged. "Unless they were telling the truth about this place going to self destruct, and as a result they evacuated most of the clones. Looks like we might have free reign of this place…at least for the next, oh…twenty minutes or so."

Lupin swallowed, and then turned back to Washu. "Hey brainy lady, couldn't you shut down the bomb if we got to it?"

In response, the scientist could only shrug. "Maybe if I knew the nature of it. At any rate, I can't disarm anything that's not right in front of me." She hesitated, and then smiled and crossed her arms. "Bet you guys are wishing you had me build us each instant teleporters now, aren't you?"

Inuyasha snarled. "Well, we're not going to find anything just standing around here waiting to blow up! Let's go get to that bomb already!" With that, the hanyou turned and immediately took off toward the doorway.

The others hesitated. Yomiko looked to the other two group members and shrugged. "He's got a point."

Lupin merely rolled his eyes. "Isn't this how we got into this mess in the first place?"

Yomiko didn't listen. She turned and ran after the hanyou. Lupin watched her for only a second, but then sighed and ran out after her. They were all soon vanishing through the doorway.

"Hang on you guys!" Washu called out after them. However, they didn't listen. The scientist sighed a bit and shook her head, remarking at Earth fools. Then, she too began to rush after them, but not before raising her collar to her mouth and opening her communications channel to the Ryo-Ohki…

* * *

Kohaku grasped either side of the elevator door with his talons, and with one easy tug ripped them in two. His long sinewy body flew through the opening. According to what he heard, this should be the place. Naturally, the first place he had gone when looking for this man named Darcia was the main control area. But he found little there save for some soldiers abandoning the facility, taking up a few last items. Luckily, he managed to find some records there that pointed him to the direction of the main support area of this place. With that in mind, he had flown full speed further up in the facility, toward the support columns. If something was going to blow, this was the best place.

With the doors flung open, Kohaku's dragon body flew through into the new chamber. It was just as he had seen it before. A wide open cylinder area, with a support column deep in the center of it. Numerous catwalks led to it, but Kohaku paid these no mind. He simply flew overhead and rushed for the middle as soon as possible. His keen eyes focused below on what was going on, and slowly he made out some figures near a console that was built into the column. One of them, he recognized as his target. A man in black wearing a mask. However, he recognized another. This one was fallen on the catwalk and dressed in silver…but he saw the face and he recognized the scent…

_Kei…_

The white dragon immediately broke his charge, and dove for the woman instead. As he fell, he twisted his body around to land feet first, and abruptly his scales flew up from his skin and stood erect. As they did, they seemed to turn into down feathers, and the wind of his descent caught them and blew them up and away from the body. Soon they had all blown off from Kohaku, forming a cloud that spiraled through the air and dissipated. What was left was Kohaku in his boy form, descending rapidly to the ground. He soon touched the catwalk, and immediately took off for Kei.

He soon reached her, and didn't seem to care how she was dressed or how she got there. He quickly checked her vital signs instead. They were steady. But on shaking her, she didn't rise. She had to be unconscious or drugged or something. He shook her again, seeing if he could get another result.

"Oh, I'm afraid it's too late for her now."

Kohaku froze on hearing this. He forgot about Kei for the moment, and turned and looked up to the dark man. He was facing him, and glaring at him through the mask now. However…Kohaku could see his eyes. They were strange…seeming to be made of red and black. They gave him a bad feeling on seeing it, unsettling him within. Nevertheless, he soon rose to his feet. He gently stepped over Kei, making sure she was behind him. But then he stood tall and glared at the dark man, as he glared right back.

"Even if she did wake up from the drug right now, her powers would be retarded from it for the next hour." Darcia explained. "She won't be able to teleport. If you really wish to save her…then you should leave with her right now, if you can. I doubt you would be able to escape though. In fact I'm counting on it. But it would be your last act of nobility. You are either very brave or very foolish to come all the way up here. You now only have eighteen minutes until this facility is destroyed. You'll need all the time you can get to go through all the sealed bulkheads that take you to the dock area…and even then you'll have to pray that you alone can commandeer and pilot one of my ships out. For that is the only way out now… You see, I had the elevator destroyed already."

Kohaku glared back silently for a moment. The console was behind Darcia…and he had a feeling that if he went for it, this strange man would do something to stop him. After a moment, he looked back to Darcia. "…I take it you are the leader here."

"Enough of the leader to be called that, yes."

"Yet you're staying here to die with your facility."

"A mere setback." Darcia calmly responded. "Just as that unconscious woman is. It was a pity. I tried to make her understand. I thought she would be my helpmate and aid. I thought we could be partners and friends. I was wrong. In the end, she didn't understand after all. But it doesn't change the fact that I need her. I need her to open the way to paradise. That is my one goal left, and she is the only one who can do it. Nothing else matters to me. Not this facility, these clones, any delusions of an otherwise perfect utopia, and not even you or your friends. I need her to make this dream come true.

"But she wouldn't cooperate. In the end, she refused. So she has forced me to this. Now, our original bodies will die here together, and we will have to await our rebirth."

Kohaku raised an eyebrow to this. "…Rebirth?"

"Her body and ability are what I need, not her soul. After I knocked her out, I took a DNA sample and gave it to my soldiers. Once they have established a new facility, they will clone her according to my final directions. She will be made obedient to me, and her one desire will be my one desire…to obtain paradise. Then, in the ruins of the world, our new lives will culminate in paradise. It is a real pity…" He paused here a moment, and seemed to grow regretful. A surprising turn of emotion suddenly went over him as he held, and had Kohaku known him longer he would be justly surprised by it.

His normally emotionless voice…began to express sorrow.

"…I had grown to respect this woman, just as I once respected my own true love. She was a great and noble person, for all her flaws. It was the world that made her into a killer, not herself. She would have made a great ruler, and I would have been proud to serve under her. In the end, I wished it wasn't meant to be this way. If she awakened, I might just beg her to leave with me. But she won't. It would take time I don't have to try and persuade her to see my vision. I already wasted much time trying to, and in the end it was for nothing. No…this is the only way now. All I can do now is stay here and make sure she dies, and then content myself with a mere lifeless shell of who she was when she is cloned."

Kohaku continued to glare at him. "…I take it you intend to clone yourself too, then. So will you also not get to see your dream fulfilled? Won't a lifeless shell also be what you become?"

"Da Vinci made me very special." Darcia answered. "More special than he realized. He didn't know that when he made me, he got the whole package. My spirit itself was contained in the DNA he extracted. And when I received a new body, I entered it and took it. I wasn't cloned. I was reborn. But life no longer matters to me anyway. All that matters is that paradise is unlocked."

There was a hesitation between the two. It didn't take Kohaku long to realize that he was talking with a madman. And in his experience they weren't ones who would so easily abandon their delusions for doing the right, logical things. However…perhaps there was yet as way to reason with him. It would be more time efficient than combat at this point…

"If that's true," Kohaku protested. "…Then let her go. If she truly wants your vision, she'll find paradise on her own. You can rest easy knowing that paradise will be inevitably unlocked."

However, in response to that, Darcia did something most unexpected…

He laughed.

It wasn't a good laugh either. It was a cruel one, laced with a sinister feeling and dark motives. It made the room grow dark and Kohaku's heart feel cold. It only continued with time, echoing throughout the room and sounding more menacing and wicked. It was the sound of a madman…and, unknown to Kohaku, it was indeed the sound of the madman within Darcia. The one part of insanity that Darcia still held in his brain was unleashed at that…the one part of him that still obsessed over gaining paradise above all else. He was no longer a man when he laughed like this. He returned to what he had been before he died…a monster.

"Oh, I'm afraid that's not good enough." Darcia darkly answered, his voice now twisting into a cruel voice. "You see, I needed her…but in the end she is still only one piece of the puzzle. She is the key…but without a door to unlock a key is useless. Ages ago…thousands of years before the great grandmother of an Egyptian man who would first set one stone on another to build the first pyramid was born…I played this saga out. Then, as now, a wolf was only half of the puzzle. The other half was the girl from flowers…the nature child personified. Ages ago…I had to take her by force to try and gain paradise. But after both she and I died…my last remains, my last essence, were drawn into the roots of the flowers that came from her. In effect…our two essences mixed and united. And I was born again into a newer, weaker body. And since then, I have lingered on in one plant after another from generation to generation, having been reborn countless times…until a clone named Da Vinci finally discovered me growing in a patch of lichen near the Arctic Circle. Then he gave me this body. Then…I was reborn the final time…and in a form that not even paradise will be able to reject now!"

With that, Darcia abruptly flung his cloak and mask aside, and revealed what was beneath. Kohaku's breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled back a step at what he saw. What was beneath wasn't a man at all. It was some sort of bizarre monster. Darcia's head and torso were still human shaped, although they were interlaced with red cracks all up and down the flesh, like roots or something. His arms, however, were long and distorted now with branching fingers, each one covered with flowers, long thorns, and red cracks. Vines had exploded from his sides and swished around like tentacles, each one covered with more barbs and flowers and a green color. His lower body turned into green, and then sprawled out like roots. They were roots, it seemed, for they had dug into the metal and twisted and locked themselves around everything they could hold. The plant man's body gently swished to and fro, and his maddened red eyes glared at Kohaku.

"You see me now, youkai. You see what I have become. The old nature child is gone…but _I_ myself am the new nature child. I and I alone can facilitate the way into paradise. And I may not become a god, but I will become a part of everything. Every new tree, ever flower, every whiff of pollen on the breeze, and every single solitary blade of grass…will be part of my final and greatest body. I will cover the planet itself. I will _become_ the planet itself. And because of the IGen process, I am not simply some frail little girl who can only cry out and bleed as the world fights over her. I am something far greater and more dangerous. I am the great seed from which the new world will spring. My rebirth into human form wasn't coincidence…it was providence. This has been my destiny for thousands of years…what I have patiently waited for. Nothing can stop it now."

Kohaku stared back at the monstrous thing, slowly containing his own horror. He had seen many bizarre youkai in his time, after all. Still…he had a feeling this particular one wasn't going to be easy. Nevertheless, he called out to the mad creature. "How do I stop the destruction sequence?"

"It's not possible." Darcia simply answered. "After I entered the code on the console behind me, the system locked all other users out. Although it will be futile anyway, attempt to approach the console behind me and I will destroy you. If I were you, I would do anything I can to escape. You only have fifteen minutes left, and I doubt already that you can succeed. But you were the only one to outperform his clone…so perhaps you can prove me wrong."

Kohaku glared back for a moment. But then, he simply held out his palms on either side of his body. He whispered a word, and immediately balls of fire erupted in them. They hovered in either of his hands as he focused his attention on the plant thing before him.

"If it's all the same to you…I would rather prove you wrong by killing you and shutting down the bomb."

Darcia simply shrugged. "As you wish. But you won't be the first in a long line of fools who I left bleeding and dead who tried to stop me."

* * *

The clone soldier rapidly pulled out the "disk" to the computer system. The main infiltration navi was a massive program file that was contained in the hard drive of the system. It had so much memory, that just to download a copy of it required a "disk" the size of a briefcase, packed with the latest in information storage technology. The heavy case that the clone now took ahold of could contain information in the range of quadrillions of bytes. It was one of the great, and final, creations of Leonardo Da Vinci. The other soldiers in the room had already taken anything of use, and were evacuating already. This last soldier hoisted up the disk as best as he could, and then turned and ran for the doorway as well.

Once he and the rest of the clones were through, the others ran on ahead with their own normal diskettes and bits of information, rushing for the dock as quickly as they could. With only fifteen minutes left, all ships had departed save for the ones in this last dock. This clone would be getting on it, after he did some last details. He quickly set the disk down and turned his attention to the bulkhead. It was already open, and so he went in and began to switch all of the security locks on. Once he had done so, and made sure that the place was on its highest level of security, he proceeded to raise the end of his pulse rifle to the bulkhead and fire. A few moments later, and sparks and debris rained out as the controls to the bulkhead were destroyed. That done, the soldier pushed his weapon to one side, leaned over, took up his disk again, and then turned around…

To his surprise, however…he walked right into the arms of a pink-haired girl. In particular, his case went right into her hands. Eagerly, she took it from him, struggling a bit under the weight but accepting it regardless. "Why, thank you!" She merrily chirped. "I've been wanting one of these things…but with the time so close to Christmas and the demand on eBay so high, I didn't know where to find one! This is one of your cool little wireless navis, isn't it?"

The soldier blinked in astonishment at this girl for a moment. But then, duty took over, and he raised his weapon to shoot her. That was as far as he got before the clawed hand of Inuyasha lashed out and belted him across the face, dropping the clone to the ground in a slump. Washu didn't seem to notice, marveling too much over the new toy that had practically been thrown into her arms.

Lupin stepped forward, and looked to the controls of door. He frowned as he saw them. "I guess this answers the question of why our resident dog man has had to tear through every door we've come to so far."

"This isn't good." Yomiko panicked with a nervous look. "I think we only have around fifteen minutes left now, and we've still got to find the book!"

On hearing this, the others turned and stared at Yomiko with blank looks. Even Washu looked away from her treasure to Yomiko, and seemed to roll her eyes. The girl pouted in response.

"Well darn it! I had to let go of one priceless book the last time I was on a mission like this! I'm not going to lose another one!"

"…The book can wait until after we have Kei and ensured the end of their leader."

Yomiko nearly jumped out of her shoes at the sudden cold voice that sounded behind her. The others were likewise surprised at the sudden arrival. Yomiko turned around and the others looked up behind them. What they saw was that another one of their troupe had apparently managed to find them. D was standing right there, having seemed to come out of the woodwork, as silent as he had been on his approach. His clothing was torn and burned, his hat was gone, and much of his body still had bruises and dried blood on it. But other than that, he was the same old D.

"I guess you all managed to fight your way out of the trap as well." D remarked as he looked at them.

"Well, we had a little help." Washu responded with a shrug. The others were still recovering from the sudden surprise of seeing D. But they soon did so, and Lupin looked him over and frowned a bit.

"Man…you look like crap. And what happened to your sword?"

D glared back at Lupin. When he did…his cold gaze burned into his, piercing into the back of the man's head. Evidently…that was something he didn't want to be asked about. Lupin, on his part, swallowed and cowered a bit under the power of the dhampire's glare.

"…Long story." He simply stated. "And unimportant right now. We have limited time."

"And I still owe their leader."

Another unified jump went through the group…except for D. He alone felt this man's presence approach moments before he spoke, and showed no surprise. He merely looked up while the others, still nervous and jumping, turned and looked behind them. They soon realized why the room seemed to get darker and colder just now… They had just been joined by another group member.

"Don't do that!" Yomiko griped to the red-suited vampire.

"Oh…_you_ decided to show up at last." Inuyasha grumbled as he crossed his arms. "Where were you anyway?"

Alucard simply smiled. He was wearing his red suit…but it seemed to be made out of cheaper material, as if it had been transmuted. He was missing his hat and glasses, but his yellow eyes still flashed dangerously. "The clones mounted a surprising offence against me…but they were fools to think that they could restrain a vampire."

"Although…" D, to everyone's surprise, interjected. However…his voice was smooth, cool, and calm. "…They did manage to keep you from doing anything to this facility until we arrived."

Alucard turned to D, and gave a smile with a snort. However…both he and D knew better. The older vampire wanted to rip the dhampire's throat out right then and there. Alucard had struggled hard to suppress a rush of anger against the vampire hunter. Only the fact that D had spoken the truth, and that his ego had no room to boast, restrained him. The fact of the matter was that Alucard abandoned them thinking he could destroy the entire facility on his own. Instead, he had been captured and held prisoner for days now. D knew he should know better…but he couldn't help but feel a sense of grim satisfaction that he had not only destroyed a clone of Alucard today, but had managed to say something that successfully insulted him.

"…By the way," D continued after a pause, during which Alucard's anger faded. Alucard held grudges where they were due, but the hunter knew he would forget about what D had said soon enough. It was "beneath him" to want to retaliate for something so small. "…We need to talk after this is over."

Alucard stared back for a pause, but then simply shrugged. "Very well. So who do we take out first? Da Vinci? Or Darcia?"

"Darcia." Washu responded. "He already killed Da Vinci. And now, he's trying to blow this place up. Judging by the fact that every bulkhead we've run into so far has been gutted, I'd say he was trying to with us in it."

"Hmm." Alucard mused with interest, not seeming to care at all that he had just learned he was in mortal danger. "I was wondering why I was sensing so much fear as I walked through the halls…and why no one tried to stop me. I assumed they simply weren't being stupid, but oh well…"

Inuyasha grumbled. "Darcia's probably already left here by now anyway, along with the rest of the rats fleeing this sinking ship."

Alucard merely raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Oh no." He calmly answered. "He's still here. The first thing I did was sort through all of the heartbeats to find his. It was easy, considering how he has one of the few irregular ones among these millions of clones. I was on my way to him when I ran into you five. He's only a few more floors up, and not far from our location, near the ceiling of the facility."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Lupin instantly joined in. "Let's get to the ceiling before it comes down to us!"

* * *

Kohaku dodged to the right and the left, narrowly missing the spiked barbs that whizzed by his head. After doing so, he quickly flicked his hands out at the horror in front of them, seeming to fling drops of water at him. In response, Darcia crossed the spiked vines in front of him just as the water hit. The moment it did, the freezing spell took effect, and the vines were quickly coated with ice that expanded from the impact point. For a moment, Darcia held his frozen vines, but then gave a mighty pull and shattered them, freeing himself but losing his "limbs" in the process. It didn't last long, however, for he simply grew new vines in their place.

But Kohaku used the moment to leap into the air, reach into his pockets, pull out the dried shell of some grasshopper, and then break it open. While still in the air, the fragments of the dried shell scattered, and Kohaku blew on them to send them in Darcia's direction. They did so…and also changed. Each of the thousands of microscopic fragments began to grow and enlarge, regenerating as well to form full creatures. They unfurled new wings and flew themselves the rest of the way to Darcia. By the time they reached him, they were a swarm of locusts. And naturally, when confronted with a plant, the locusts immediately landed on whatever vine or flower they saw and began to feed.

Darcia quickly began to thrash around his vines, smacking off one locust after another as he did so. However, Kohaku used the distraction to levitate himself over the plant man, and headed straight for the console… Yet as he neared it, he felt a sharp pain suddenly go through his ankles. He looked down, and saw that despite fighting off the ravenous swarm, Darcia had managed to lash out with a spiked vine and grab him. A moment later, and he was snapped back over the monster's head and thrown over the side of the catwalk.

Kohaku free fell for a moment, headfirst. He saw the blood spiral out of his ankle wounds, and saw Darcia and the catwalk grow smaller in his vision. But that lasted only a moment. He decided it was time to reveal his true power. Immediately, he began to distort, lengthening his body and regrowing his scales. Within a few moments, he had returned to his white dragon form, and immediately he spiraled up and shot back toward the catwalk.

By the time Kohaku reached him, Darcia was striking down the last few locusts. He was bleeding green blood from hundreds of places, but he still faced Kohaku. The white dragon sneered once, and then charged into Darcia full force. The impact was strong…but unfortunately Darcia had already anchored himself too well to the catwalk. Kohaku's charge was stopped as he ran into him. In response, Darcia began to lash his vines around him, wrapping them around his body and jabbing him with thorns. It was painful for Kohaku…but it was also what he wanted. Once he was sure that Darcia had wrapped enough thorns around him…he gave a mighty pull in one direction and began to thrash madly. As he did, he ripped out each one of the vines one by one in the course of freeing himself. Soon, he yanked himself back over to the catwalk, and Darcia was left bleeding from numerous stumps. The face of the thing sneered, but then began to regenerate those limbs. However…he was beginning to look strained as well.

Kohaku wasn't in that good of shape either. He was bleeding from several points all over his body, and his previous fight with the clone had drained most of his energy. He felt exhausted…and it was getting harder and harder to focus. But he had to keep fighting. He had to get to that console or they'd all die. And so, a bit slowly, he staggered back up to his feet and prepared for another charge. A moment later, he gave a roar and then lunged at Darcia.

The plant man responded by swinging one of his clawed fists over and hooking Kohaku in the face. The impact sent him flying to one side…but just for a moment. Kohaku grit his teeth through the pain, twisted back, and then flew again toward the man. He went along its back this time, much to its confusion as it struggled to turn around. He barred his teeth as he did so, and bit out a large slash across his back. Darcia arched in pain. However, as Kohaku went past, he managed to snake out more vines and tie them around his neck. He drew more blood with his sharp thorns, but also twisted the white dragon around and drove him headfirst back into the catwalk. The impact was hard, and Kohaku felt one of his sharp teeth get knocked out in the process. More vines began to tie around his neck, attaching at only one point this time and tightening to drive the thorns in deeper into his throat. Kohaku snarled, and began to thrash about madly, struggling to yank them off. But there was too much focused power this time. Darcia raised his head up and smashed it into the ground a few additional times, trying to make him give in.

Kohaku was dazzled, and the previous damage to his neck didn't help. But he still fought back. Swinging around his tail dangerously, he flashed it in front of Darcia and slashed again and again in front of him, cutting into his torso and slashing at any vine he could find. For a moment, the two struggled. Darcia tried to squeeze the life out of Kohaku while the dragon tried to cut the plant up into surrendering. Neither got anywhere…but Kohaku felt his strength starting to ebb…

Finally, Darcia had enough. He raised Kohaku up into the air farther this time, and then as hard as he could drove the white dragon headfirst into the ground. The impact was horrible, denting in the metal as his head hit it. When that happened, Kohaku was unable to maintain his dragon form any longer. He once again shed his scales and collapsed his body, reverting back into his human form. But he was too dazzled to do anything but lie there now. As for Darcia, he merely coiled his tentacles tighter around his neck, throttling him more strongly than ever, meaning to pop off his head now. Kohaku was too weak to even grasp for his throat, and could only look up helplessly at the enemy…

"Darcia! Let him go!"

At that, the maddened face of the plant creature looked up from his victim, and turned instead to the new sound. Standing on the catwalk a bit in front of the fallen Kohaku was Kei. She had woken up at last, and was now standing straight and bold as before. Darcia knew her power was still retarded, but still she glared at him with ferocity and determination. It was such a look…with such power and raw emotion and inner will in it…that for the first time their roles were reversed. The woman was the great, noble, and strong person…and Darcia was the one who had to know his place. Even the dark man felt himself taken aback for a moment, and subconsciously he loosened his grip slightly on Kohaku's neck. For a moment, the two stared at each other and did not move.

"Darcia…"

Another voice…darker and more challenging…spoke up from further down the catwalk. The plant creature looked up to the end…and its eyes widened. Standing there, casting his darkness and coldness about him, grinning maliciously…was Alucard. Darcia couldn't believe it. Even he didn't see how he could have escaped. However…he didn't focus long on the man himself. He was more preoccupied with how he had managed to acquire one of the heavy shoulder laser cannons…and how he now had it aimed right for him.

"…You're pruned."

With that, a red hot bolt of energy erupted from the cannon, cut a perfectly straight line across the room, and struck its target. Alucard swung one perfectly horizontal cut in front of him…and a beam sliced right through Darcia's middle. The inhuman thing could only scream out in agony as green blood fountained from the slice across its body. Half a second later…the entire upper half of the creature fell back and collapsed to the ground, while the upper half continued to gush out green blood. Kohaku was forgotten. The vines that held his neck fully released, letting the young spirit gasp for air. Darcia thrashed these vines about madly as he fell for a brief moment, stricken with agony. As for the rest of his body, the roots released and relaxed. The green hunk of plant material slumped as if it was a deflated sac, and began to dry out and dessicate.

Kei, despite all that had happened, was shocked. She had barely time to even hear Alucard before she saw the phantom bolt of energy cut Darcia cleanly in half. The woman turned around to see the source…and turned pale. The vampire from earlier was back. Somehow, he had survived what was done to him, and he had been the one that struck the fatal blow. Kei panicked for a moment. She knew her own powers couldn't defend her from him. She had already tried to use them on Darcia, only to have them thwarted. The drug she was given had stripped her of her abilities for the time being. However…her fear turned to puzzlement soon enough, and then some measure of relief. Alucard didn't seem interested in her, and in fact simply undid the laser cannon and casually threw it over the edge of the catwalk. What more…he wasn't alone. As he began to walk forward, she noticed that others were with her…the four members of the group that had been left behind…plus D.

Kei swallowed and stood still a moment. She didn't know what to say now. She had a feeling that they all weren't too happy with her…and that she could still be in mortal danger. It was her idea that led to their worst enemies being put into clone form. And she had left them there chained to the wall. In their eyes, she might be another target to kill. And without her powers there was no way she could defend herself against any of them. She slowly realized she was beginning to fear their approach… And so, she turned away and looked back to what had happened.

Kohaku was slowly getting to his feet. The lower half of Darcia had almost totally flattened, and sticky green fluid continued to leak over the sides. However…Darcia himself was now slumped up against the console. He had changed somewhat. His body was even more interlaced with red streaks now, and his eyes were still red and black. But he was human again…for the most part. His arms were back to their original size, and he now looked like he had been cut off at the top of the legs rather than the torso. Still, he was bleeding profusely. His face looked around in a dazzled, blank way. It was obvious that he didn't have long.

Kei turned away from him and back to the group…and nearly jumped. Alucard was already there, and towering over her. Again, he exerted his dark presence over her body, and his yellow eyes pierced her own. Kei once more felt naked and vulnerable…helpless under the power of the vampire. He glared at her for a long time…just silently staring at her and making his power known.

"I would rip your throat out right now…" Alucard slowly murmured as he looked over her. Kei swallowed, and her heart seemed to freeze in her chest. But then, after a moment, Alucard grinned. "…But I don't do what my leader doesn't tell me to do. You get to live…for today. But I'd place some garlic and crosses around where I slept from now on if I were you."

With that, Alucard stepped aside. Kei was freed from his power, although her heart still raced in her chest and she felt like her flesh had turned to ice. She swallowed again and struggled not to tremble. Yet as she did, she looked out and saw the others. The remaining five stared at her coldly now. Their faces were free of mirth and cheerfulness. All they had were dark looks. Even Lupin gave her a critical glare. Kei at once felt very small and naked again beneath their looks. Their stare…conveying the betrayal and hurt in their eyes…felt worse than anything yet.

Slowly, she bowed her head. "…I can't begin to ask any of you to forgive me for what I've done. It was because of me that Darcia knew what all of your worst fears were. And I've done…other things…that you all aren't aware of, in his service as well. I just…I wanted to do something meaningful so badly. I wanted to stop being a killer and be a real hero…but in the end I was just as bad as I was before. I guess it's true what they say…the more things change, the more they stay the same."

The others said nothing in response to this. They merely continued to stare at her silently. Kei swallowed again, but managed to look to them.

"…You all can do with me what you want. You can turn me over to the authorities. You can kill me. I don't care anymore. I think I'm just as big a monster as the thing behind me now. I only ask for one thing…give me a few minutes longer."

No one answered this. Lupin began to look up and to the others. His own grim look was fading…but that was because he always thought with Lupin the Fourth rather than his brain. It made him a bit more merciful to attractive women. If it didn't, he would have killed his female partner decades ago. But in the end, it was D who seemed to have the final word. He gave only a single nod to Kei, and that seemed to be more than enough to be considered on behalf of the group.

Immediately, the woman turned and looked back to the fallen Darcia. She quickly rushed over to him, pushing past the now risen Kohaku and running with bare feet over the fluid that made Darcia's lower section. Soon, she was to the console and the fallen leader. She bent down to his side. As she did, Washu looked up and saw the console itself. She quickly ran over to it as well. But Kei was focused on the fallen man. He looked dazzled for a moment, but then shook his head.

"…I guess…I will die here…at least temporarily…"

"Darcia…"

"It doesn't matter…" He simply replied in a weak voice. "Nothing matters now. This changes nothing. The clones have already been shipped. The facility will be rebuilt. Within a month, I'll live again…and continue my mission… Along with a clone of you, Kei."

"Darcia, listen to me." Kei insisted. By now, Washu was already to the controls, and was typing away furiously at them.

Darcia, though his look was faraway, seemed to somehow notice this. "Oh, it's too late for that as well…" He said aloud, addressing the scientist. "Even if you could hack into the system…there is no fail-safe for the auto-destruct sequence. It can't be shut down once engaged. And now…the last ship has departed. You will all soon die… You only have about ten minutes left."

Washu continued to work on the system as she did so. She seemed to easily break through being locked out of the user settings. But once there, she seemed to have more difficulty as she typed on. "We'll see about that…" She remarked as she spoke back to the dying clone. "This little scientist has ways of getting us out of a pinch."

"That too…is irrelevant." Darcia calmly answered. "You will never stop all the clones… As early as tomorrow…some of the factions will start their war. This entire planet…will be thrown into chaos by the end of the week. They'll start implementing nukes by the end of the month… There will be nothing but a wasteland after that…and me and my mission."

Kei swallowed, a new fear coming over her. She looked down to Darcia again and kept speaking…nearly pleading. "Darcia…there was a failsafe built into the clones themselves. Tell us what it is. Please."

Darcia merely looked lazily back to Kei, looking into her eyes. Strangely…a smile began to spread across his face. "Oh…Kei…" He slowly spoke aloud, his tone wistful. "I wish it didn't have to be this way… I really do. I wanted so badly…to have you open the way to paradise… I'm sorry…I'm really sorry that I have to have that clone made… I wanted it to be you. I…I thought you were so flawed… But you had so much potential in you. You were such a strong woman…so noble and determined… You were misled…but through it all you thought only of helping others. I wish…that I had such noble goals. I wish I wasn't so base…so selfish…that I was more like you… I wish I could love others as you do…and let that be my goal for this world…You remind me…so much of her… I think that's why I took you in…not because of your power… You're such a precious rarity in this world of mendacity… If you can escape…then do it. I don't want to watch you die… I'll feel better, knowing that the true heir to this world…still lives…"

Kei stared silently back. The others were gathered around at this point, but they said nothing. D looked up to Washu as she worked. However, there was a frown on her face. She turned to him, and gave him a grim shake of the head "no". "The computer fried its own circuits on engaging. The protocol that connects to the self-destruct sequence itself is gone. It's left running the last command it was given."

Kei looked on at Darcia, watching him look back to her. Strangely…as mutated as he was, as twisted as he had become…he looked more human and normal now than he ever had before. He looked more vulnerable and flesh and blood now than he had for thousands of years. Kei looked at him a moment longer…and then spoke again, more gently.

"Darcia…you told me you had made a mistake thousands of years ago. That you blinded yourself with your own desires. That you killed innocent lives and destroyed their wishes and hopes to ease your own pain. You said you didn't like that, that you wanted to change from that."

The man paused at this. His relaxed look somewhat faded, as he let these new words sink in.

"I looked into the minds of my friends, Darcia…but I also looked into your mind. I know what you fear more than anyone. You fear never seeing Harmona again. You fear that you'll never be reunited with her. That desire…that wish…that has what kept you going. You didn't want paradise. You substituted that for your true wish. You wanted her to be with you again…to heal the wound in your soul so that you could be a man again, so that you could give up your callousness and heartlessness. So that she could absolve you from your sins…and you could forget about the rest of the world and be with her…"

Darcia didn't answer…but his face looked more and more uneasy. He was hearing this, and letting it sink into his utmost being.

"Darcia…you're making the same mistake again. You'll shatter millions of lives this time. You'll destroy the hopes and dreams of thousands, and again to serve your own ambition. If she came back to life…she would see the lives that you killed then and now…the people you heartlessly murdered…all for her. She was independent and strong, Darcia. She was indeed. And because of that, she'll hate you. She'll hate that you killed so many innocents just to regain her. She'll hate that you valued so little the lives she cared about just to satisfy your own selfish goals. Whatever paradise you make for her…she'll never accept it knowing what it cost."

The man looked away from Kei after hearing this. His face turned cold…but she knew she was getting through to him. She could see into his heart…and saw that it was no longer beating easily.

"That's an insult to her, Darcia. You won't respect her by doing this to her. You won't respect what she wanted. And you won't respect me either. You're forcing your way through again. You're ignoring my wishes just like you ignored hers. You're not professing your love to her through this…you're devaluing her memory. You're thinking only of yourself. You'll kill millions…when you know full well that's not what she wanted. That's not what I want either. And somewhere…deep down inside…you know it's not right. There's still some humanity in you…still the thing that attracted her to you…that's in there, no matter how long you lived and changed. You know what she would do if she was here, because you see her in me and you know what I would do. You know what's the right thing. So please…do the right thing. You envy me and you envy her for thinking of others…so think of others for once. Let this be the last time you die. Meet her with a clear conscience. Atone for your sins one last time."

Darcia didn't speak. He didn't show any emotion on the outside. But inside…Kei could see him shaking. His heart quivered. Cold as he was…Kei and all the others saw Darcia do something he hadn't done in thousands of years since the day his love was taken from him. A single tear slowly rolled out of his eye and down his red-cracked cheeks…

At last, the man turned back to Kei. He swallowed once, but he fixed her with his gaze. Kei stared back and earnestly hung on.

"Listen well, Kei…and the rest of you…for I can only say this once, and then die. Do with it as you see fit."

The man paused again and swallowed. Kei saw fear in his heart…fear and doubt and regret. However, this fear was nothing compared to his true fear…the fear that Kei had drug out to light. There was one way to be with her again…a way he had feared and fought against for thousands of years. But now…he realized he feared something even more than that. He feared that if she saw him again that she would reject him. And on hearing that…he at last gave in. It was time to settle down to death. It was time to absolve his sins. It was time to meet her with a clear conscience.

"…Breakfast is served with a silver spoon."

The moment the last syllable passed Darcia's lips, vibrated molecules through the air, reached his auditory canal, set off the action potentials to his brain, and deciphered his own words in his own voice…he was doomed. The instant that happened, Darcia's eyes closed for the last time. His head slumped back, and his heart stopped. He became still and cold, and that was the end.

Kei looked at him a moment, surprised at what had happened. "Darcia?" She called out. But he would not answer her, and never would again. He would not answer anyone ever again. He was still and cold now, and moved no more.

The group stared at him in stunned silence a moment. The sounds of machinery humming and lights burning were the only things to break the silence, as they all looked on in surprise and amazement. Washu looked over him and marveled. "…That was it." She announced slowly, getting everyone else to snap out of it and look up to her. "That was the failsafe. When those words parted either his lips or his master's lips, it would kill any clone that heard them. Any clone that hears him say that will die. But Da Vinci wasn't a fool. He made him vulnerable to it as well, so that he would never be able to use this without committing suicide. He knew that…and yet he said it anyway…"

The group was stuck in stunned silence. They could only look over him. Kei lingered on him longest of all. In the end…he did atone. He gave them the one weapon they needed, the one way to undo all that had happened. For years and millennia, Darcia's tortured soul had walked as a wraith on the world, immortal and tirelessly waiting to be reborn and resume his endless journey. But now, his obsession had finally been released. For the first night since his love was first stricken by her disease…Darcia was at peace.

The group lingered a moment longer over his body. But then, they remembered the countdown. They looked up to the screen, and saw that there were now only eight minutes left until the entire facility was destroyed. At that, Inuyasha and Alucard turned and began to run out. Washu abandoned the console and followed them. Yomiko swallowed and then followed suit, and Kohaku took up and ran behind them. Lupin hesitated, and was ready to walk forward to the still bowed Kei. But he was beaten to it. D clamped a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at this, and turned to him. Her stare was somber and expressionless, but still she held. Then, at last, she rose up from where she was and began to walk out. When she did, D and Lupin turned and ran out as well, and the new group of eight was soon evacuating again.

Darcia, a strange look of peace still on his cracked face, lay there in silence and awaited the end.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	15. Static

Chapter Fifteen

* * *

"We're running out of time, boys. We only have about four minutes left."

"We could go faster if we could smash through these bulkheads easier."

"We could go faster if you humans weren't so damn slow!"

At that, Washu abruptly halted. The sudden stop caused the others to halt as well, and turn to her to see what was so important. The scientist grinned in reply.

"That's not such a bad idea." She remarked. "How about you big strapping boys give us a lift?"

The non-human members hesitated for a moment at that. D, however, on his part, didn't want to waste time arguing. After all, rather than waking up vampire victims and having them follow him out of castles in the past, he found it much easier to just let them sleep and carry them out with increased speed. And so, after only a pause, he scooped up the nearest human to him, Yomiko, and to their girl's surprise planted her on his back.

"Yipe!" She exclaimed. "Um…thanks?"

Kei nervously stood still for a moment. She had a feeling people were still too angry at her to help her out. She wished she had enough regained power to teleport or fly herself. However, she didn't have to wait long. Abruptly, Kohaku reverted back into his dragon form, and without a word put himself down near Kei's body. His large eyes looked to her expectantly. She may have made a mistake…but he was far from mistake free himself. And she tried to help him a few minutes ago. And so, after hesitating, Kei got onto his back and held onto his horns.

Washu turned and gave a grin to Inuyasha. On seeing her look at him like that, he began to look a bit uneasy. He sweat and looked to the others for help. However, they merely impatiently stared back at him. He grit his teeth and swung his fist angrily. "Come on! She's always calling me a damn dog!"

"Just take her and stop wasting time." D coldly retorted.

Inuyasha grumbled a bit more, but then bent down and let Washu climb onto his back. Washu, on her part, looked as thrilled as a kid getting a piggyback ride. The dog demon himself grit his teeth and scowled. "Now I'm going to be called horse names too…"

Lupin looked around at this…and soon found that the only one left was Alucard. He turned to the vampire, and saw his much taller body look down on him and grin wide, making sure to show his sharp teeth. The thief paled in response…and only with the greatest reluctance walked around the vampire and slowly and nervously got up onto his back. "Ulp…at least I'm one of the few people on Earth who can say he mounted Count Dracula…"

Once that was all done, the eight, now on the legs of four, turned and took off. Inuyasha was used to running and leaping with "weakling" humans on his back. D and Alucard had no trouble carrying their own partners, and Kohaku shot through the air like a kite tail. They soon tripled their speed.

The facility was clear now. Most of the clones were gone, and those that were left didn't pay them any mind. Sealed doors were the only problems now. Luckily, it was child's play for Inuyasha to tear through any barrier they encountered, or have Kohaku smash it with a flick of his great tail. The group made good time as they worked themselves down and toward the dock area. Luckily, Kohaku already knew the place inside and out from his after image relating messages to him. But it was taking time to get there. The clones had done a good job of barring the way. The group found themselves making new doors as they went on. Kohaku frequently smashed an opening into the floor, and Inuyasha ripped through less-solid walls to keep them going onward. Yet despite this and their increased speed, time was still running out. It took them forever to go through all the corridors, sealed bulkheads, catwalks, and plain rooms. The group continued to tear through barriers, and jumped off of catwalks and walls to make their way as quickly through as possible.

At last, the group turned a corner and entered a much larger corridor. This one could allow massive numbers of troops through it, as well as artillery units and aircraft. A huge metal door was sealed shut ahead of them with hydraulic presses and pumps. Yet that mattered little to the group. They all charged it as one, and when they got close enough, each one struck. D and Alucard leapt up and hit it with their feet, while Kohaku thrashed it with his tail and Inuyasha punched it. The resulting combination smashed the metal in, denting it inward and forcing a small opening. The group hesitated and smashed into it for a few seconds longer, beating it the rest of the way in until one of the halves of the metal door was broken off and fell to the ground. Once that was done, the others rushed in.

A blast of cold air greeted them. The cave ahead was made of ice. The heating units had been turned off, specifically so that freezing air would help seal the door behind them. Down here, deep in the sea and underneath a mile of ice, it was far colder that it was on the surface. The weaker members soon began to shudder in the grips of the stronger ones, and soon Yomiko's teeth began to chatter again as they all exhaled blasts of misty breath. At any rate, the cave was massive and stretched high and deep. They were walking on metal for now, but not long ahead the floor itself terminated, and became the edge of a dock that dropped into freezing cold water. It was already starting to ice over again, now that no heat was keeping it thawed. Long metal rows stretched out from the metal platform they were on, forming the lines where one could load and unload the ships. The dock they were on stretched widely in both directions, accommodating lots of room for their craft. However, that was gone now. The dock was totally evacuated. The only living souls that were left were them.

Once they reached the edge, the four carriers let down their mounts. Kei, Lupin, and Yomiko were already wrapping their arms around themselves, and Inuyasha himself struggled to stifle his chattering teeth.

"Let's get out of here quick…or the water won't be the only thing f-f-freezing over." Kei commented.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Alucard calmly returned. "If we don't leave in about a minute, we'll be dead long before we die of hypothermia."

"Well then, let's not dilly dally." Washu addressed. Immediately, she rushed out from the others and went up to the edge of the dock. Once there, she turned and grandly faced the others. She hesitated a moment, and then clapped her hands. On doing so, she immediately changed. Her clothing disappeared, and was replaced with a grand black showman tuxedo. She had white dress gloves on and a wand in her hand. She proceeded to give a grand bow to them.

"Introducing, Washu the Magnificent! Master of prestidigitation extraordinaire!"

The group was less than thrilled.

"I t-t-thought she s-s-said no dilly dally?" Lupin asked rhetorically.

"You know…_we have less than one minute, you stupid twit!"_ Inuyasha blasted.

Washu frowned as she raised from her bow. "What a crowd of sourpusses tonight… Time to bring out the A material…" Here, Washu straightened up and pulled up her sleeves. "Observe! I have nothing concealed here or here! Now, watch carefully…" Here, she pulled off her hat, and then showed it to everyone. It appeared quite empty. "I am now showing you that the contents of my hat are quite empty. See how I have not pre-placed anything inside."

"You know, I will have to agree with the others." Alucard calmly responded to this. At that…his eyes suddenly blazed angrily and his teeth seemed to enlarge. _"Get to the point, imbecile!"_

Washu frowned in reply to this, and snorted a bit indignantly. However, she then held her hat out next to her, and dipped her hand inside.

"Hocus pocus! Kalamababbit! Arazzamatazz…and heeeere's a cabbit!"

With that, Washu pulled up…revealing none other than the pint-sized form of Ryo-Ohki. The cabbit, seeming to be quite puzzled as to how she got there, looked around in bewilderment and uttered a befuddled "meow". However, Washu readily placed her on the ground, and then spoke to her.

"Ryo-Ohki, we need to get out of here in a hurry."

The cabbit looked up to her in reply to that and paused a moment, but then smiled, gave an acknowledging "meow", and then flared out herself in a pose. She hissed and perked up her ears, and then went to work. As before, the cabbit soon enlarged dramatically, and seemed to allow huge spikes and spires of metal erupt from her and form engines and stabilizers. Her fur vanished as she became dark metal, and as she enlarged she moved back into the water in order to accommodate her monstrous size. Soon, Ryo-Ohki had fully turned into a ship. No sooner did she do so then she opened a panel for the group to enter on. A colossal, cybernetic "meow" sounded and echoed through the chamber.

"That's better!" Washu chirped. Quickly, she scooped up her disk and ran for the panel that Ryo-Ohki had extended. The others didn't hesitate for once, but instead followed right behind her.

* * *

Deep within the ceiling of the facility, over the dead body of Darcia, the clock ticked off the last few seconds.

**00:03**

**00:02**

**00:01**

**00:00**

Immediately, a series of explosives around the column went off. Darcia's remains immediately were vaporized as blasts that dwarfed the abilities of C4 erupted. The column immediately splintered and distorted as it lost all support, and the terrible vibration went to the ceiling. At the same time, throughout the entire facility, the other columns likewise erupted, and were as one snapped from their supports. The ceiling felt a tremendous tremor run through it…and the chain reaction had begun.

Moments after the columns were broken…the stone and metal overhead began to crack. Pieces of metal were snapped off and fell to the ground, and great shards of ice and rock poked through in their place. Debris and pebbles followed and quickly their size grew larger and larger. The vibrations continued to increase, rattling more and more of the facility and soon growing into a quake threshold. The rest of the columns began to break and fall…right before the last of the metal panels fell from the ceiling to the ground. Then, as if the place had reached a threshold limit…a huge deluge of ice, snow, and rock poured down, immediately falling from their suspended area and raining down below, smashing into the open space they now had. Catwalks were ripped apart, shoved to the ground, and buried. But still the rocks came. A ripple was started, a pocket within the rocks. No sooner had the first layer fell than what was behind it began to fall too, creating a ripple of empty space that traveled up and up through the mile of ice and snow overhead.

And no sooner had these untold tons of snow and rocks hit the bottom…then they punched through and began to decimate and bury the next floor under…

* * *

The dock was already starting to shake violently by the time Kohaku, the last of them, crossed the panel and entered the opening. The panel immediately closed, and Ryo-Ohki began to dive as large rocks and boulders of ice started to crack off and rain from the ceiling. A coming quake was heard, and it was growing louder. But the group didn't hesitate, and the ship was intelligent. No sooner had the last person entered than she began to take them out. Now, she dived fully into the water.

Under the ocean, the rocks and pillars of ice continued to fall all around the Ryo-Ohki. The rumbling continued, and the ceiling overhead began to break and fall. But just as it did, Ryo-Ohki turned on the engines full blast and shot forward. It took a moment to get enough speed going, during which a deluge of ice collapsed from the ceiling, fell into the water, and then dangerously dropped toward the cabbit ship. But Ryo-Ohki dived as well, and the buoyancy of the water held the ice up long enough for her to swing under it. Her speed quickly picked up, and soon she left the rapidly collapsing dock behind her. As the world quaked and caved in behind them, Ryo-Ohki was in the clear.

The ship shot through the icy blue water for a few moments, while all other sea life ran away from the ship and destruction alike. Behind them, it looked like the world was sinking into the ocean. Only a great rush of air-bubbles and debris could be seen as a massive pillar of the world sank into the ocean. As for the Ryo-Ohki, once clear enough to, she shot back for the surface. Snow, ice, and land blocked the way overhead, but the ship merely aimed its weapons and fired one powerful blast of its laser cannons. The result was a ship-sized hole instantly blasted through the ice, vaporizing everything in its path. The ship continued to speed up and headed up for it, and moments later shot through the opening. After going through water for a few more moments, the spaceship broke the surface, and emerged into the light of the Antarctic wastes.

Inside, the occupants of the ship gave a unified sigh of relief. They were all sprawled out on the bridge now, relaxing from their near brush with death. But after a moment, they began to rise again and come to their feet. As if in response, Ryo-Ohki turned the view screens on, and exposed what was below them. They looked out and watched as she did. They were rapidly rising above the frozen tundra of Antarctica now. But still, they saw a great cloud of ice and snow rise up into the air. A massive, deep crater was now there, like a huge sinkhole had been made in the middle of the continent. In the innermost point, the land sank down a whole mile, and the group couldn't see the bottom. It looked like simply a massive hole in the world. But on seeing it…they knew it was gone. The facility was destroyed, and everything that was left there was dead.

No one save for Kei knew of the existence of the separate world under the facility. And because of that…no one realized right at that moment why the woman turned away from the destruction.

"I'll be back after we're done, and have Ryo-Ohki obliterate the remains." Washu assured the others. "Or some silly humans will just come back and start digging up what's left."

Kei, as it turned out, wasn't the only one who was sad. Yomiko frowned and groaned a bit at the destruction. "So much for Da Vinci's long lost book… Another tome I let slip through my hands."

"Are you talking about this?"

Yomiko continued to look downcast for a moment…until she suddenly saw the very book she was looking for thrust in her face. Immediately, she recoiled in surprise. But then she paused and looked over it, and within moments her face began to spread into a look of joy. It was the book. She recognized the cover anywhere. With nervous and excited hands, she reached out and seized the book and held it to her chest as if it was some sort of precious child. Seeming lighter than air, the overjoyed girl spun around in a circle and threw her head back to the sky. After she did this, she turned and looked to see who had given it to her…and found herself staring right at Kohaku.

"I went to Darcia's office first when I looked for him." He explained. "I noticed that Da Vinci had a library in there, and that this book was in it. I remembered how you kept talking about it, and I figured that you would probably want it-"

That was as far as Kohaku got, before, to his own shock, Yomiko dashed forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him right on the lips. The stunned youkai merely stood there in surprise for a moment, while the other group members stared at her blankly. Obviously…she liked books even more than they thought. Lupin scratched his head as he saw how Kohaku got a great big kiss in exchange for returning the book. He hesitated a moment, and then gave one of his sly grins.

"You know…I have this one romance novel that's overdue at the library… Any chance I can get a reward for turning it in?"

"Alright, it's all well and great that we got out of there alive…" Inuyasha interjected, putting them back on task. "But now we've got to hunt down those clones and do them in too. All we got to do is say that stupid phrase to each one of them and they'll fall down dead."

"I'm afraid it won't be quite that easy." D reminded him. "If anyone could say it, then Da Vinci would have been a fool. All a spy would have to do was get to their protocol, find that keyword, and then give the information to anyone to get them to kill their army easily. My guess is, the word only works when one of their leaders says it."

Inuyasha sneered. "Oh that's great. The bastard played us for saps one last time. How did he figure we could use that against anyone if he died right after he said it?"

Washu rolled her eyes and shook her head at Inuyasha as she held up her wristwatch. "Probably because he was expecting us to do something like this…" She told the hanyou, and then proceeded to press a button on the device. There was a pause, but then, clear as a bell, mimicking his voice patterns perfectly and far better than any recording on Earth, the group heard Darcia's last words.

"Breakfast is served with a silver spoon."

Inuyasha, humbled now, crossed his arms and muttered to himself grumpily.

"Even so," Kei replied. "They have thousands…millions of troops…scattered all over the world. It would take months to hunt them all down and say this phrase to them. A war could start as early as tomorrow."

Washu, however, seemed more disgusted with this. She let out an exaggerated sigh in response, and then proudly stuck one finger in the air and puffed herself up with bravado. _"When are you people all going to learn to trust the super genius?"_ She exclaimed to them. With that, she turned and began to go to work. She reached into the sky and dipped her hand into another pocket of reality, and returned a moment later with her own computer as she pulled it down. She reached down and pulled out a small, hovering dias from another pocket of reality, and pulled it up to her and sat on it. Now, she was in an excellent position to type. She did so for a few moments, before she stopped and reached to the side of her computer. Moments later, she popped open a small panel on the side, and produced a large amount of cable from it. She extended this and attached it to the disk at her side. With that done, she went back up to her computer and typed a bit longer, and then hit the execute button.

By now, Yomiko had finally released the confused Kohaku, and began to hug her book like a little kid with their favorite stuffed animal. Kohaku stood in stunned silence, still overwhelmed. But after a while, both of them looked up with the others to Washu, and watched her work. "What are you doing?" Kohaku at last asked, expressing the interests of the group.

"I doubted that humans could think up anything this smart…but with all of those think tanks and laboratories full of clones of scientists and innovators I guess they cranked out something even my genius didn't consider. I guess the little maxim about the thousand monkeys on typewriters is correct…" Washu mused aloud. Moments later, her screen beeped. When it did, the scientist began to furiously type again.

"On that disk I lifted, they have the hard drive of their special wireless navi. I remembered hearing what Darcia said about it. Using it, they were able to gain wireless access to anything on Earth that ran on electricity. And I have just downloaded it onto my computer."

Yomiko raised an eyebrow. "You managed to download a quadrillion bytes of data onto that little laptop without overloading it?"

"Oh, of course not." Washu corrected, still typing. "This isn't my computer. This is just an access terminal. My real computer is kept in a ten mile radius sphere enclosure inside my laboratory, behind twenty dewer walls that keep its temperature near absolute zero. That enables me to keep it cool enough to process any data, as well as turns it into a superconductor. I also utilize a biological storage format…because, you know, your brain is far more efficient at storing large amounts of data then any mineral object. I just have to make sure to keep it non-self aware or, you know, it might try to seize control of my lab or take over the universe or enslave humanity or whatever…

"At any rate, now that I've downloaded it onto my computer, I can use the systems in Ryo-Ohki to send its signal via Earth's satellites to every last electronic device on the planet. TVs, radios, telephones, intercoms, voice alarms…anything that can approximate a human voice, no matter where they are. It doesn't matter if they're in the ocean, on a bus, or in a panic room." With that, Washu removed her wristwatch and plugged it in to a point on her computer. She typed a few more buttons on it, and smiled and turned to the others.

"What do you say? Think an hour of every device on Earth blaring at full volume, 'Breakfast is served with a silver spoon', in Darcia's voice will do the trick?"

"Do it." D coldly responded.

Washu grinned in response, turned back to her machine, pressed a few last buttons, and then hit the enter key.

* * *

What followed was one of the strangest hours in Earth history. For months afterward, investigators, media men, counter-terrorists, and hacker hunters tried to figure out what exactly had happened, but to this day found nothing. All that was known was that no one on Earth, from the most populace city teaming with cell phones to the most remote jungle village with an 80's ham radio to the crew of the International Space Station heard the same cold, dying voice endlessly say "Breakfast is served with a silver spoon" for a solid hour. Computer experts, firewall security makers, and all of Earth's greatest signal disruption equipment were powerless to do anything to stop it. Panics resulted in everyone's defenses after this was done. As even the most secure rooms of the CIA and all other special agencies in every country had their intercoms blaring the same message, many saw this as some sort of terrorist intimidation act, showing the world how vulnerable they were to their group. And for years following, numerous organizations on Earth struggled to find these imaginary individuals to no avail.

However, very few people on Earth were even more afraid when they saw the words have an additional effect. The two warring terrorist factions in Ireland were amazed to see their newest recruits fall down dead. A South American drug warlord called in his clone soldiers to his office only to have them die the second they stepped in to the intercom's auditory range. An African dictator blinked in astonishment as he watched his newest clone troop beat up one of his political rivals one second, and then collapse the next. North Korean military personnel scrambled in the wake of a tremendous tank rolling forward to smash anything in its way, for the pilot had dropped dead at the wheel. Neo Tokyo's faction cursed and ripped up their battle plans for tomorrow as they suddenly and inexplicably lost 70 percent of their forces within three seconds.

That wasn't all. Around the world, people chronicled huge masses of metal suddenly falling from the sky. Most landed in the ocean, though a few landed in remote areas. Later on, this would be theorized as some sort of failed alien invasion. After all, the weapons on board were far too advanced to be from Earth. They obviously had been killed by Earth diseases on entering our atmosphere. But none of these people ever saw similar masses of metal suddenly pitch forward and sink deep in the ocean as their crews also died. Among them, there was one particular soldier slumped over in one of the labs. In his arms, he held a special case that contained two vials of DNA…one from Lord Darcia, and one from Lady Kei. Those vials would be claimed by the ocean…and were never seen again as the tank they resided in sank into a deep ocean chasm.

Within one hour, every last remnant of IGen was destroyed. World War IV was stopped by simply repeating a single phrase. The brief time in which the world lived in fear and doubt…and awe and envy…of the new troops was gone, and soon would be forgotten. No one ever truly knew what had caused the mysterious attacks…and no one ever did. Soon, this became a fluke of history and was yesterday's news. Thousands of years from now, it would simply be some mysterious fable, like the ancient text that described the strange Norwegian invaders.

But now, it was at last over.

The League had triumphed again.

* * *

Another mission was over…and another time for farewells commenced.

Kohaku didn't wait for the nearest section of land. He simply bid farewell to everyone…although he looked a bit nervously at Yomiko as he did so…and then departed. He left no clue to his future whereabouts. His only hint was that he wished "to see an old friend to see if my fears are justified". That was all he said before going to the nearest panel, exiting, reverting into his white dragon form, and then flying away.

Lupin the Third was next. This time, he made things a bit more official. He requested to be dropped off in Brussels. Along the way, he and Kei nervously looked to each other, and exchanged few words. Although this had started between the two of them, now, after all that had happened, the two found little to say to each other. In the end, it was all they could do to exchange goodbyes, before Lupin leapt off of the Ryo-Ohki and landed in an abandoned lot. A car was waiting for him there, being driven by, what looked like to D, an old, white-haired man with a sharp chin and a hat pulled low over his eyes. There were two others in the back, but D paid them no mind. Soon Lupin entered, and Ryo-Ohki lifted off for its next drop.

Somewhere over the course of this, Kei managed to get the strength to walk up to Alucard and admit what she had done to the Hellsing Organization. This was, D noticed, after she had managed to regain control of her vastly greater mental powers. D knew after she did that it was only due to the fact that Alucard didn't give himself up to emotion and distress that he didn't rip off Kei's face and feast on it after he heard. The very air seemed to grow hot as his anger grew. Shortly after doing so, he had proceeded to violently beat Kei as hard as he could. Each blow broke no less than three bones as he smacked her around and smashed her into the ship. However…no one intervened. When one made a move to do so, Kei yelled out at them to not come any closer. She didn't defend herself even as Alucard made her scream in agony…as he pulled on her limbs and dislocated them one by one. In the end, when she looked rather bloody and broken, he seized her by the neck and lifted her to his face.

"I could kill you, little woman…but I'm going to let you live for two reasons. One…a target that doesn't fight back is nothing more than a sheep to the slaughter for me. Two…" And here…the vampire darkly smiled and flashed his yellow eyes. "…I too can stare into your soul. I know now what _you_ fear. And I know full well…that the best pain I can inflict on you is letting you live."

After that, Alucard dropped her, licked her blood off his gloves, and neither spoke nor looked to Kei again. Kei herself lay on the ground a long time, giving labored breaths and staring at the ceiling. She said nothing to no one and expressed nothing. But at last…she got up again and stood normally. Her power had grown indeed now, for like Tetsuo it allowed her to heal quickly from nearly any injury. Without saying anything, she withdrew to a private chamber in Ryo-Ohki. Later on, she called out and asked if Washu would come and see her. She did, and a few minutes later came back. But she too said nothing about what had happened.

Yomiko was next. Ryo-Ohki flew the group to Great Britain so that Yomiko could directly report to her superiors. She was still overjoyed at getting the book back, and had already read it three times on the trip home. She thanked everyone and gave them all polite bows before turning and leaving. D was amazed. In the end…what made that girl's day was the book. Nothing else but the book, not even the victory they had achieved. Ignorance was bliss, after all, it seemed to him.

After dropping her off, the next stop was the Hellsing Organization. The members were no doubt still in Japan, recovering from Kei's assault. Shortly after the Ryo-Ohki took off, D turned his thoughts back to Kei. Inuyasha had sprawled out on the ground and had begun to nap. Alucard leaned against a metal wall and bowed his head as well. Washu was playing with her new instrument. D was mostly left alone.

And it was at that time…he decided to go pay her a visit.

* * *

D heard considerable noise as he entered into the chamber. However, he only walked through the doorway and then stopped. He was silent in his approach, and Kei didn't see him right off of the bat. However, he could see her, and saw what she was doing.

Kei had lost her silver clothing. She had replaced it with only simple white undergarments now. Most of her body was naked. The rest of her clothing was folded up and sitting down in a pile on the ground. She had placed a crucifix around her neck, and was now tying her hair back. However, her heightened senses gradually made her aware of the fact she was being watched. She turned her head slowly and looked to who it was. Soon, her eyes and D's eyes locked. Neither moved or said a word. They simply stared at each other.

"…What are you doing?"

Kei paused at that. She swallowed a lump, and then turned back to her hair. "…Washu offered to erase my memory, but I decided that wasn't good enough. Once the last stop is made, she'll take me to her laboratory and place me in suspended animation."

The hunter raised an eyebrow at this. "Suspended animation?"

Kei sighed a bit in reply. "The evolutionary pace of this world is doubtful…but she thinks that in another two thousand years the Planet Jurai will be a lot closer to my level of mentality, and my powers won't be so remarkable or god-like. She's immortal, so she'll live long enough to wake me up. Hopefully…I'll be able to make some form of living on that world."

D paused.

"…You're putting yourself to sleep until humanity…'catches up'…to you."

Kei stopped what she was doing. Her hands fell, and she looked to the ground. "…Yes."

"…May I ask why?"

Kei snorted slightly at that, and turned to him. She stared back for a few moments, and then rolled her eyes. "Come on, D. Don't act like you don't understand. It wasn't until last night that I even began to realize the price I paid by following Darcia. I'll never be able to return to Neo Tokyo with a clean conscience. I can't take up that way of life again. Every other government on Earth wants me executed or dissected. My only friends…I screwed them over for some crazy crusade. I don't have anyone left, D. Even if I wasn't what I am now…even if I hadn't reached this level of power…even if I didn't have to face the risk of losing my sanity to my own incredible abilities every day for the rest of my life…I still don't want to live in this era anymore."

"It's a coward's way out."

Kei's face tightened. "Perhaps so." She nearly snapped back. "But I'm afraid I can't be like you, D. I can't go on alone for the rest of my life. I need someone. I need contact. I need something to live for or at least someone who cares about me. You have your hunt…but I have nothing. I can't even use my power to help anyone anymore. There's too much of a risk that I'll become the next Tetsuo. There's too much of a risk that I'll hurt another person like I hurt the people in Hellsing."

"You really think you're so weak?"

Kei rolled her eyes and sighed. "How do you think Darcia knew that Alucard would be your ultimate opponent, D? He knew because I picked it up on our first mission together. It was _me_ who brought that clone to life. It was _me_ who put the words and phrases in its mouth. It was all me."

"If it wasn't for your failures in design," D commented. "I would have not been able to beat the clone."

Kei groaned in irritation. "You're missing the point! The fact of the matter is, can any of you ever forgive me? Can any of you ever see me the way you used to see me? Can you honestly look at yourself and say that things will one day be the same for us, and that what I did will be nothing more than some joke to laugh over?"

D didn't answer right away. He paused and stood there coldly. Kei continued to glare…and the silence lasted a little too long.

"…Someday."

"That's not good enough." Kei almost angrily retorted. "When? Tomorrow? Next week? A year from now? A decade? I can't live my life in ambiguity. I have nothing now. No purpose and no friends…just this power that I'm struggling not to use. Don't you think I wanted to fight back against Alucard? Don't you think I had some little voice in my brain telling me to turn him inside out? I need hope, D. I can't live without hope. And I can't make myself a new life in this generation. Not without hurting other people." She softened by now, and continued to soften as she kept talking. She sighed a bit, her look becoming hopeless. "I'm just a curse now, D. That's all. I'm just a bad sign. It would have been better if I had died fighting Tetsuo. Maybe someday there'll be a place for me. But like you said…it will be someday. Not today. Not tomorrow. And definitely not in any of our lifetimes."

D was silent in response. Kei stared back at him, her own face now downcast and fearful again. However, she was also resolute in this regard. The hunter looked back at her for the longest time…and found himself wanting to say more to her. But he showed no emotion and no feeling…and his own heart refused to let go of the anger and pain of the betrayal. "Kei…"

The woman merely looked away and back to the ground. She tucked in her legs and wrapped her arms around them, and held herself like that. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Good bye, D."

"Kei…"

The woman turned sharply and gave him a cutting glare…telling him the subject was closed.

"Good bye."

The hunter was silent. He said nothing more. He merely stared back at the sad ruin of the woman in front of him. That was the ultimate face of despair…a person with no hope, no future, and no life. Kei had lost everything in this encounter. She was left a shell of a woman with nothing, whose own despair led her to simply give up. There was nowhere in the world for her now…and she had no one she could turn to for help. D realized that he was included among that number…for in truth, in his inmost, darkest, grudging being…he wished this woman to suffer longer for her crimes, as painful as it would be. Alucard was right…she would suffer far more living than dead.

The cold hunter turned away, not saying another word to her. At the edge of his vision, as he walked away, he saw Kei turn back and bury her head against her knees. He thought he saw her close her eyes. He thought he heard her begin to cry as he slipped out of auditory and visual range.

He never saw her again…and had no idea where she was now.

* * *

"So, I guess you said your goodbyes."

D didn't answer. He merely walked over to the opposite side from Alucard, leaned his own back against the wall, crossed his arms, and silently stood there.

Alucard plucked a piece of debris off of his coat. "She didn't happen to mention anything else that would goad me into killing her right here and now, did she?"

D looked up to him and fixed his gaze on him. Alucard simply looked up and looked back, and the two of them were silent. Neither said a word or betrayed any emotion.

"…I'd like to have that talk now."

"Would you?" Alucard calmly replied. He crossed his own arms at that, and took up what was a comfortable position for him. "Alright…let's talk. What was on your mind?"

"…I have a different theory as to why you did what you did to my mother."

The older vampire paused here. He showed no emotion…but he did pause. "Really…"

"The ideas came to me during the mission. I learned several things that I should have known by now." D calmly continued. "When I gave you my first theory, I thought I had you drawn to a T. But I should have known from your reactions that I did nothing of the sort. I was thinking of you how I remembered you in my own warped memory. I didn't think of you as you truly were. I didn't realize that until I fought your clone. It said things to me that I dreaded to hear come from your lips. And yet when it did…I realized how utterly absurd it was to hear those things come from you. My emotions and fears made me irrational in my expectations. What more…I learned other things from this experience. We all give up precious things to get what we deem to be more precious. We all do things that are crazy to everyone but us…because we know the ends we are trying to justify. Those 'good intentions', I believe, are the ones that do indeed pave the road to Hell. But we don't know that at the time. We merely accept the consequences and get on with our lives."

"How poetic." Alucard calmly answered to this, showing nothing new. "I trust there's a point."

"My point is that this led me to new conclusions and possibilities." D slowly answered. "And my first is this. You genuinely loved my mother…and me."

To that, however, Alucard merely gave an amused snort. A slight chuckle went through his lips. "Oh really?" He answered with a very amused expression. "Well, isn't this quite the turnaround. What makes you say this change of heart?"

"True, you abandoned me and you abandoned her." D continued. "But the fact still remained that you impregnated her with me while she was still human. You had already tasted of her by then, but I believe you did that before you made her your bride. However, you weren't trying to sate your lusts or satisfy your boredom. I know you better than that. Even then, the vices of traditional vampires disgusted you. Yet you drank from this woman, and you never allowed her to drink from your own blood in response. You only drank from her once, leaving her alone in one of your castles with me and your servants. This made no sense to me…until I thought of a reason.

"There was a chance…that you first loved her for her. You didn't desire her as a bride. You romanced her…courted her…wanted to make her a genuine wife. You wanted to have a true human/vampire marriage. But you gave in to your lusts. Even the great vampire king must eventually drink from the woman he spends so much time with. And so you did. After that, she was as good as dead. She desired you, but only so that you would drink from her again. You hated that. You wanted her to be free as she once was, and yet you couldn't do that without making her a vampress. Without making her your slave.

"You had given into your temptations when I was already conceived. Soon I was born, but she cared nothing for me. She wouldn't even nurse me. She wanted you, and you wanted her to be how she used to be. So you took a chance. You abandoned the both of us then…but not because you wished to. You wanted her maternal instincts to awaken her from your spell. You wanted her to have me all to herself, so that her mother's love would make her forget about you and return her to reality.

"But it didn't work. You struggled to hold back your hunger for years, but she continued to desire you. Your own power as a vampire made you irresistible to any woman who you drank from. Eventually, she withered and died from the lack of you. Only then did you return, to face the one thing she had given you. You struggled to bring me up as a noble like yourself. But I already hated you. I blamed you for the death of my mother. I blamed you for her not having any love for me. As for you, so that you too would not perish from grief…so that you too would not become a shell as Darcia had become…you killed your emotions for her, and in effect killed them for me as well. Your coldness and heartlessness only increased my hatred for you, even as you, blinding yourself to the love and warmth of humanity, descended back into your vices and further fueled my anger. It was a self-perpetuating cycle until the day I abandoned you and struck out on my own."

If this story was true, then Alucard didn't let it affect him. He merely parted his lips and snickered. It seemed as if the whole tale amused him. "Well, well, well…" He slowly spoke aloud. "What a courteous son you have become after all. Now, you seem to paint me as a tragic Byronic hero. I wonder what became of the bloodthirsty monster from your last story? Well D…since you have come so far in painting this rosy fairy tale…perhaps you wish to tell me why I would desire to have you as a child at all. Why would I want a useless, weak, bastardized hybrid dhampire to a strong and powerful vampire son? Why would I go to such lengths to preserve a human wife, not bride?"

"Simple." D calmly answered. "…Because you love humanity as much as you hate it."

Now Alucard let out a real laugh. He let himself chuckle for a moment, and flashed his menacing teeth. "Oh dear…_this_ I've got to hear."

"You reached the same conclusions I eventually reached, I reason." D continued, not at all miffed at how Alucard laughed off his latest theory. "After all…we are more the same than both of us realize. I sat down one day, and examined both the vampire and human races. I saw their strengths and weaknesses, their powers and shortcomings, and at long last something clear came to me. Humans and vampires…are more alike than different.

"Both races are subject to the same vices and emotions. Both feel things the same way, at least at first. Vampires only change the way they feel with time. Both races start off as innocent children. No one could tell the difference between a human boy and vampire boy until the latter went for his first meal. But most importantly…both races are mortal. Vampires think of themselves as immortal, and as such superior, to all humans. They are wrong. They think that because they can watch a human age and die, or can take bullets and knives and spears to their vital organs, that they are immortal. They are wrong. They are confusing differences in mortality to immortality. Can a human freely bask in broad daylight and enjoy its warmth, and be able to say to a vampire that he is immortal while the vampire is not? Can a human freely hold a crucifix and smother their food with garlic, and claim that they are immortal while the vampire is not? Both races are very mortal. They are simply mortal in different ways. What affects one has no effect on the other, and vice versa. Humans are mortal to wounds and time, but vampires are mortal to sanctity and light.

"Some vampires reach this conclusion besides ourselves…but they stop there. They cease their thinking by reasoning that it is far better to be immune to age and damage than to be immune to other things. But they are wrong, and they fail to see the truth that I think you are wise enough to see now, Alucard. They don't see that as a human fears becoming a vampire…a vampire fears becoming a human. Only the most desperate and unique of humans want to give up the abilities to feel a sunrise and worship for immortality. But only the most desperate and unique of vampires want to give up the abilities to watch all others age and die and take lethal wound after lethal wound without flinching. And for what would they give it up for? I believe you know what…just as I believe all old vampires, in their heart of hearts, know what…an end to immortality."

Alucard continued to grin and stare at D. However…he did not laugh this time. As D paused, he simply stared at him with his amused expression and continued to smile.

"The saying goes that transient joys are the sweetest. A marriage is precious because it will only last for a few short hours and not come again for the rest of time. Childhood is precious because the blissful, unaware time will give way to worrisome adulthood. A phenomenon that happens only once or twice a lifetime is that much more magical when it occurs. A fire can burn twice as bright and give off twice as much warmth…but in the end lasts only half as long. To the human, the world is magical because it will eventually be gone. The moment they turn twenty-one years of age, they rejoice and indulge because it will only last for one year. Their time to be who they are for one moment is coming quickly, and once it is gone it will never come again. The world is so full of wonders and amazing things that one person could never hope to see them all in a single lifetime or learn the half of what there is to know. They can only pick what they believe will be the most wondrous and devote their limited lifespans to doing that. Quite possibly, the most life-filled and glorious year in a man's life could be the year that started with a doctor telling him he will not live to see another after it has passed.

"But for the vampire, nothing is transient. Everything is eternal. The sun will rise and set as it always had. Astral phenomenon will occur, but even if it won't occur for another thousand years, that means nothing to the vampire. Traveling to a far land and journeying through the ancient wonders of the world shows no stimulation when one will inevitably have the chance to see it again. One learns more and more about human nature…and when the vampire has learned all he can humanity itself begins to bore him. There is no knowledge, no technique, no science, no wonder, no monument…nothing that will eventually not be known to the vampire. And yet, once they all are known…only the vastness of eternity…in which the time one has spent alive, no matter how long, will simply be a drop in a greater ocean…greets the vampire. All wonders fade and lose their luster. All acquaintances become as commonplace and unstimulating as the dirt.

"The truly wise vampires hear the desperate human crave for the time to search out the mysteries of the universe and to be freed from pain…and merely shake their heads at the foolish creatures. They themselves would gladly trade places with the human, if only they could have the feeling of being transient. They would sacrifice thousands of their years just to get the same feeling they once felt when they jumped into a pool on a hot summer's day, sank their teeth into a perfectly made steak, or watched a total lunar eclipse. They indulge themselves in vices and brides to try and stave off their feelings of sameness and boredom, and in the end degenerate into such things. That is why even if my earlier theory was true…if vampires did control the world…if they did learn the way to make synthetic blood and no longer need humans…they would still keep them. They would keep them because they are the only things that are new and changing in their life, even if they only feed on them.

"This was your conclusion…and this was what changed you. You…mighty Count Dracula…lord of all vampires…considered a god by all of the race that recognize you…wanted humans and vampires to coexist. You wanted them to live side by side, to give in marriage and intermarry, so that one day not a race of cursed, immortal vampires would not emerge…but a race of people like me. A race of dhampires. Ones that bore all of the strengths of the vampire race…and all of the strengths of the human race. A race more temporal. A race more 'transient'. One that would appreciate the world better for they could die easier. One that would not fall into the same curse as their forebears. Ones that would be free to live and admire and love all things. And to prove this, you took a human wife. In fact…you wanted her to stay human. You wanted to, because then she was only temporary. Then she would one day die. Then, on the day she did, you would look back to the brief time you had with her and you would be happy, because time never spoiled that moment. You would have had your true love with you for a short time and it would have passed. It would be painful, yes…but it would be a feeling. And it retain the magic that you lost with all your other brides, because they remained. It would go from something commonplace and mundane to being sacred and wonderful. It would have made you feel alive. It would have made you feel more transient yourself…and given you impetus and courage and purpose in life. You hoped, one day, that all other vampires would feel the same.

"And that is why you are who what you are today. You hate humans…but not because they are frail and weak. You hate them because you _envy_ them. You hate them because they waste their precious short lives, not realizing that their very existence is far more meaningful than your own and not taking advantage of their temporality. And that is why you hunt your own kind, why you dub them inferior. You do…because they have not realized the same thing. They are still reveling in their own immortality and engorging themselves on the humans around them, not realizing that they are destroying the one things that give themselves purpose. Not realizing that what they dub as mere cattle hold the future of their race, and a chance to feel again.

"But not Sir Hellsing. Not her at all. She is bold and strong, and a very proud and upright woman. She values life all too well, and has dedicated herself to destroying those who do not. Much like her father and her father's father did…a fact you realized when the first Prof. Van Hellsing encountered you. Here was an old man, you told yourself, who, despite being weak and frail and dying, is more invigored, impassioned, and vivid than I have been for centuries. His life has meaning and purpose. He has made the most out of his time. That is why he is so driven and strong, and why he is esteemed so greatly among these humans. He lives his life to the fullest, and uses his temporality to aid others. Because of that…he knows nothing of misery or boredom. He knows only that this is his time to exist. That lesson was passed on down through the family…and that is why you serve them. You don't do it because you are a slave. You do it…because you both respect and love them. Seeing them struggle and grow, live and die, is what gives you your purpose now.

"That's also why you spared the police girl. That's why you took her in and made Sir Hellsing do the same. She is still very young. Though she is a vampire, much of the world is still fresh and new to her. She still can enjoy much of the world that has long since become commonplace for you. And that's why you offered a chance at life to her…because you wanted her to enjoy these things. You killed her before she had the chance to experience life…and you thought it was a tragedy, because you could see into her and know that she would enjoy it as the Hellsings did. That was why you made her a vampire, to give her a second chance to see the world while it was still fresh to her.

"But the world still sees you as a vampire. And you have long since learned, as I did, that to show weakness or compassion in public is death. And you, cautious as always, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. You never show the slightest sign of weakness. Never any love or remorse. Never the slightest hint that you care anything for the humans you protect, and especially no respect to the humans you serve. You dare not show your affection for them, the reason you are bound to them, because it will show you what you are and will make you weak in the eyes of your enemies. Perhaps someday…when the world is in chaos as it nearly was…then you can present yourself and try to make a new world in which the two races dwell as one. But until that day, you remain the cold and deadly killer Alucard. And you have done so unto this day."

D at last finished. Silence reigned between the two of them. The hunter slowly studied the features of the taller vampire. Alucard still smiled and grinned…but he no longer looked at D. His eyes were down and he looked to his chest. He no longer seemed amused, although he did seem happy. D could never tell why he was that way, and no answer presented itself as he continued to stand there and wait. In the end, he came to only two conclusions.

He thought that what D said was absolutely amusing, or…

He was glad that his son had finally seen him for what he really was.

At long last, Alucard looked up and stared at the dhampire. His eyes were not flashing and passionate or menacing now…but were plain and calm. Even his smile was softer now.

"D…come with me. Do me one favor…and let that tell you which one of these two scenarios you have given me is true."

* * *

Vampires were highly resistant to normal amounts of sedation. To calm down Seras Victoria enough to let her sleep, the Hellsing Organization had to give her enough tranquilizer to drop a bull elephant. But it had only allowed her a few brief hours of uninterrupted sleep before the nightmares returned. Now she lay awake and would not sleep again.

She was in the basement of the temporary headquarters of the Hellsing Organization. There were no windows here, so she couldn't tell if daylight was still out or if night had fallen. She was being guarded by several other members of the unit. A few rooms over, Seras swallowed at the thought of Sir Hellsing lying in a medical unit. They had been forced to put her into a drug-induced coma. The sheer level of anxiety that she was in threatened to make her hyperventilate or go into cardiac arrest. If they hadn't sedated her, she could have very well have been the first documented case of a person scared to death.

Walter had come in several times, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. She accepted the extra blanket and glass of warm milk…but he inevitably brought her things that would better relax a vampire. He offered her another blood bag a few hours ago. That was useless. Right now, she was more terrified of what she was than she had ever been in her life, now that all of the deep subconscious horrors in her brain had been brought out. The thought of drinking so much of a drop of blood drove her into more terror…when she remembered seeing such grisly visions of herself feasting… But even if she hadn't felt the fear…she still couldn't have taken it. Much as it sickened herself to realize, she couldn't stand the taste of blood from a medical bag…compared to it being fresh.

Then there was the next thing he brought in. She had no idea how he got it, but he had brought in a wheelbarrow full of soil from her hometown. Native soil worked wonders to a vampire. But the thought of burying herself up to her neck in dirt only served to remind Seras that she was an undead creature now, and she couldn't bear to do it. And so, she was left alone in her misery.

Seras had only managed to slow her own breathing an hour ago. Desperately, she tried to sleep. The fear was beginning to fade, but it was still very strong. She swore to herself again and again that she would never, ever do the things she saw in the vision...but it was a foolish plea, because she knew she had already done it before. She prayed to God to please keep her from ever doing any of those horrible actions again, not knowing if her prayers could even be heard. She took deep breaths and struggled to soothe herself. She closed her eyes, and recited for the thousandth time her plan.

_I'm going to forget about it… I'm going to put it out of my mind… Tomorrow, I'll drink a little, but just to keep my strength up. It won't be because I want it…it will be because I need it. That's all. The master will be back soon. I'll tell him about it… No. I won't do that. He'll just say I should accept it…and I won't. I won't! I'm not going to become a monster! I'm not going to become a killer! I won't become the things I'm hunting! I won't! I WON'T!_

Seras began to whisper this to herself as she tossed and turned again. She rolled back over onto her back, fresh sweat pouring down her brow. Her eyes opened so that she could stare at the ceiling and breathe again…try to calm down her endlessly racing heart. Maybe she needed another tranquilizer…

However, Seras' train of thought immediately was cut off. She wasn't alone.

A great dark figure was draped over her now. She couldn't see his face, even with her keen eyes. He was covered in shadow, and his black hair and coat covered him and made him seem longer and deadlier. A wide-brimmed hat was pulled low over his face, and she couldn't see anything about him.

Forgetting how strong she was, Seras opened her mouth and nearly screamed…until the man shot out and seized her by the throat. Immediately he crushed, and to her astonishment she realized she was being choked. This was no man. It had to be a vampire. She struggled to break free and fight back, but it was hopeless. This vampire was strong, far stronger than her. It easily held her down, pinning her with his body, and cutting off her speech with his choking hold.

Seras could only stare in fear as the dark man glared at her a moment. Then…he slowly reached to his side with his free hand and into his pocket. Moments later, he emerged with a metal binder clip. He extended it over the young woman and clamped it on her nose, pinching her nostrils shut. Once that was done, he quickly released her throat and grabbed her face instead, crushing it in such a way that her mouth was forced open and her tongue forced out. She could breathe now, and immediately she yelled as best as she could through her crushed mouth.

"Get off me! Let me go!"

Either the guards didn't hear or they were disabled, for the dark man calmly went about his work. He slowly reached into his pocket again. When he pulled it back out, he had a small vial in his hands. He easily uncorked the top with his thumb, and promptly dumped the contents into Seras' mouth. She tried to spit as she felt hot, sticky liquid splash into her mouth, but it was hopeless. It now blocked her airway, and she couldn't inhale.

That done, the dark man tossed the vial aside, and slammed Seras' mouth shut. He held it there, while his other hand reached up, yanked off the metal binder clip, but then quickly held her nose closed as well. Soon, she was being choked again, but now she was being choked with something in her mouth. The dark man wanted her to drink it, and she didn't dare. She struggled to hold it out, struggling not to let it down her throat. But it was hopeless. She was running out of air…and soon her body would involuntarily swallow so that it could breathe what was still in her mouth. She fought hard. She spasmed and twisted, writhing and fighting against the assailant. But he held her hard, and continued to let her writhe. Finally, she could no longer resist. She closed her eyes and swallowed, and the sticky liquid rushed down her throat and into her stomach. Immediately…she recognized the taste as blood.

That done, the assailant finally let her go. Air once again rushed into her lungs, and she gasped and took a deep breath. That was all she could get in, however, before the dark man smashed her across the face as hard as he could. Seras' head was violently snapped to one side, and she immediately went unconscious. Her body went limp, and she moved no more. To think that a vampire could even be knocked out was ridiculous...and the fact that he was successful testified to his power.

That done, the assailant calmly picked himself up off of her. With great smoothness and calmness, he reached over and took up his binder clip and his vial from the ground. He calmly replaced them into his coat pocket, and then turned away from the fallen vampress. Slowly, he walked back into the darkness, and as he did he pulled out something else from another pocket. It was a wad of British pounds, and quite a sizable amount too. He counted out how many he would need for yet another new nodachi, and then replaced it in his pocket.

He had indeed received his answer.

* * *

Sir Hellsing awoke to feel her glasses lightly placed back over her eyes, and a cold gloved hand run through her hair. Her senses were groggy, and she couldn't remember much when she did so. However, light was in the room, and as her eyes opened, her blurry vision registered that. She was too out of it to know exactly where she was at first, and merely turned a bit on her pillow and rubbed her forehead. But her vision and senses cleared soon. The room cleared up, and people took form over her.

Integra exhaled and rubbed her eyes behind her glasses. She straightened up in bed…only to realize she wasn't in her own bed. She blinked again and opened her eyes, and discovered that she was in the medical wing. Her arm was hooked up to an IV, and various medical apparati were monitoring her vital signs. She was clothed only in a hospital dressing gown. Confused…and feeling a bit embarrassed…Integra looked around a moment before turning up again. Only then did she realize that she was not alone. Two soldiers were standing at the door, and had turned and looked to her, seeming to be fascinated. Walter was also nearby to her left, and to her right…

Integra took only a moment to recognize him, and immediately sneered. "So _there_ you are."

"Good morning to you too, Sir Hellsing." Alucard answered from behind a fresh pair of yellow lenses, flashing his massive incisors at her as he stood there.

Integra snorted, and then turned and saw the guards. They were still looking at her, seeming fascinated. She immediately snapped at them. "See anything you like, privates?"

They both paled and went white as ghosts. "No sir!" They quickly answered.

"Then kindly get back to watching the door and not my bosoms!"

Both men immediately swallowed, turned, and then resumed their normal erect and upright guard positions.

"I think they're just a bit surprised, sir." Walter responded from Sir Hellsing's left, causing the scowling knight to turn to him. "You were catatonic with near lethal levels of anxiety for days now. It was only when Alucard returned some fifteen minutes ago and came to you that you were able to recover."

Hearing that, the woman froze a moment. She turned to Alucard. In response, the vampire simply grinned at her. Integra stared coldly back. In truth…she couldn't remember what had happened. She hadn't the foggiest idea of what Walter was talking about. The last thing she could distinctly remember was waiting for Alucard to report back in from her office, and growing more impatient as she did so. After that…nothing. Nothing at all. It was almost…as if something had wiped everything after that away in a big cloud of blackness. It was unnatural…as if her memories had been totally covered up. The woman knew who was responsible. She wheeled back to Alucard, still grinning.

"…I didn't ask you to do that." She finally stated.

"Well, at the time, you weren't able to ask for pretty much anything." Alucard simply replied. "You were kind of rambling in a half-dream."

"I didn't need your help." Integra sharply retorted.

Alucard gave a small chuckle, and merely shrugged. "Whatever."

Sir Hellsing nearly scowled. Alucard was driving her mad again. She refused to let him this time. Immediately, she dropped the subject and turned back to the privates. They hadn't dared look back, and were both sweating now. "So long as you two soldiers insist on gawking…why don't you make yourselves useful and get me a change of uniform?"

"Yes sir!" They both barked in unison, and immediately turned and darted out to do as they were told.

Left alone now, Sir Hellsing turned and looked back up to Alucard. "…At least tell me that you haven't wasted all of our times for the past few days and that you neutralized D."

Alucard paused for a moment after that. His smile didn't falter, but he raised a hand and pushed his glasses closer to his eyes. "…Rest assured, sir, that he won't be around to interfere in our operations again."

Integra didn't bite. "That's not what I asked you, Alucard."

"Well then we're at an empasse." The vampire calmly answered. "Because that's all I'm telling you."

Integra sneered and rolled her eyes. She turned away from the vampire and muttered what was most likely the word, "bastard". Alucard, of course, heard it, and merely grinned and stood calmly in reply. The officer wondered again why she kept Alucard around at all. Well…the answer was obvious. He had easily done in opponents that would have devoured the rest of her unit alive. The thought made her groan. It seemed that, in life, there were always tradeoffs…

"…Alucard…"

A new young voice had entered the room. The three stopped their own trains of thought, and turned and looked up to who it was. Confused…a bit frightened…and wide-eyed and trembling…was Seras Victoria. The bruise on the side of her face had healed during the night. However, she was still overwhelmed, though no longer by her visions. Now she stood in the doorway dumbfounded. She wasn't alone. It only took Walter and Integra a moment to realize what she had just said, and what it meant. As for the vampire himself, he calmly folded his hands behind himself and looked to her.

"Alucard…" Seras echoed, no longer feeling the slightest compulsion in her mind or heart to call him "master". "I…I can't feel the link between the two of us anymore."

Integra's eyes widened, and she looked up to Alucard. She knew what that meant. It meant that Seras had been freed. She was now an independent vampire, obedient only to herself. Immediately, she formed a theory to this. She came to the conclusion that Alucard had finally gotten tired of waiting for her to drink from him, and had forced her to last night. In truth, she wasn't happy about it. She had been iffy about having another vampire on the squad since they day Alucard presented her with her confused, trembling body. At least with her as Alucard's slave, she knew she could be accountable. But now that she was free, she was more of a liability. She didn't know why Seras didn't remember that…probably another memory trick like the one Alucard just pulled. But Walter knew better. He knew that Alucard hadn't arrived until a little while ago. Seras had been alone in her room before then. Somehow, she had to have drank some of Alucard's blood…but he couldn't figure out how she could have gotten it, especially when he trusted the young vampress not to lie about something like this.

To all of this, Alucard merely raised a slightly intrigued eyebrow as he continued to grin.

"…Oh really? Hm. That's interesting."

* * *

"Alright, that's it. Now can you finally get me home?"

"Hmm?" Washu asked as she turned her head behind her. She was still on the Ryo-Ohki, along with the last of their passengers after teleporting Kei into her cryogenic capsule. Now, it was just down to her and Inuyasha. She was back at her computer again, merrily typing away and investigating all the ins and outs of her new marvel. At last, she snickered and smiled. "Oh! I'm sorry, fuzzy wuzzy!" She apologized immediately. "I forgot all about you, what with all the stuff we've been doing over the past few days!"

Inuyasha, on hearing this, gaped in utter astonishment for a moment. Then, he rolled his eyes, fell backward, and sprawled out on the ground. He didn't have the energy to be mad anymore. He had taken far too much of Washu to be able to still be angry at her. Now…he just wanted an end to this. Washu, on her part, merely hummed to herself, turned back, and began to type away at her computer again.

The dog demon groaned and closed his eyes. "Look…just forget it." He pathetically moaned. "Just…take me to Kagome's or something. I'd rather have her brother and her psychotic century drive me crazy than you…"

Washu, on her part, simply typed away, leaving a period of silence between the two. For a moment, all that was heard was the sound of keys clicking in the silence of the starship. However…Washu abruptly halted in her typing. "Oh?" She suddenly exclaimed, staring at her screen and not moving. "Well now…that's interesting."

Inuyasha clenched his teeth and grumbled. "…I hope it has to do with something that will get me home...or at least a thousand miles away from you and this damn ship…"

"Oh no, not that." Washu immediately replied. "My computer. It appears…I have a glitch."

Inuyasha, sighing loudly, slowly tumbled himself back over onto all fours and pushed himself up. A moment later, he was slowly and grouchily rising to his feet. "What? You mean one of those stupid things Kagome is always complaining happens to her computer thing? So what?"

"Two things." Washu immediately answered, as Inuyasha got to his feet and slowly and lazily began to walk over to Washu and her computer. "One, my computer _never_ gets a glitch."

Inuyasha merely sighed and kept walking over. He came to a halt right behind her and balanced himself with one claw on the back of her chair. But as he did…Washu's voice changed. That look of mystery and intrigue entered into her eyes. He tone suddenly grew lower…darker…and more wary and cautious.

"Two…this is the first time I've ever heard of a glitch…in the shape of a _person_."

The hanyou froze at that. Now…he too was intrigued. He turned to Washu. The scientist was now transfixed on her computer screen, but she held up a hand and pointed to it. Inuyasha followed her finger, and looked to the screen as well to see what had got her attention.

The screen was filled with partially entered data that Washu had been putting in. However…that wasn't all. Much of the screen was now static, and rippling on and off, distorting the screen and fixing it time and time again. But through it all…the static seemed to clear up again and again around one particular part of the screen, not so much making a distortion…but reshaping the screen to form an image.

A teenage girl, naked save for one lock of hair tied with a rubber band, looked through the screen and right back at them.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

It's over! (Matrix Revolutions credits music starts to play)

I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Since you've come so very far, here's a few final notes.

Again, this story was filled with Anime references (none of which I own). D was from "Vampire Hunter D", "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust", and the first novel in the Vampire Hunter D series. Alucard, Walter, Sir Hellsing, and Seras were all from "Hellsing". Inuyasha and Kikyo were from..."Inuyasha". Lupin the Third and Lupin the Second were from..."Lupin the Third". :P Kei was from the Akira manga, not the anime. (Because of this, if you haven't read the manga, she probably said a few character names and events you didn't recognize. I'll touch on that in a moment...) Chibi Washu and her unnamed ex were from the "Tenchi Muyo" series. (BTW, the device she used against Lupin Sr. was the same she used on Tenchi in "Tenchi Muyo in Love".) Yomiko Readman AKA The Paper, Miss Deep, and the company IGen were all from "Read Or Die" (The 3 episode OVA, not the TV series), not the manga. (I've had a chance to read the manga...and it's a bit messed up. For one thing, Yomiko actually gets...aroused...when she reads a new book...) The Kohaku River Spirit, Ubaba, and his references to Chihiro, Sen, and Zanemba are all from Miyazaki's "Spirited Away". Darcia was from "Wolf's Rain".

In addition...

Gendo is a name from "Neon Genesis Evangelion". (Give you three guesses as to what Darcia meant when he was referring to what Gendo was working on...) "Breakfast is served with a silver spoon"are the codewords in "Outlaw Star" that turn Melfina on after she has been shut down. The girl that Washu saw in her computer was from...well, if you don't recognize it, I'll just let that one slide for now... :)

VAMPIRE HUNTER D NOTES: The character of D, and in part Alucard's character, were influenced by details contained in the first Vampire Hunter D novel. For this story, I, obviously, went with the theory that Alucard is in fact Count Dracula himself, which makes him D's father. That has special significance when you consider the first VHD novel. In that universe, humanity eventually destroyed themselves through their wars and destruction of the environment. After they did, it was vampires (not Darcia or clones) who took advantage of the situation, and applied their vast knowledge to rebuild out of the dark ages a world that suited their tastes, even going so far as to genetically engineer monsters so that the world would "match" that of their horror stories. At the time of the novel, humanity has already begun to rebel, and the vampires are slowly dying out. The history in the story says that when the vampires were at the height of their power, Dracula appeared and made a public statement that seemed to suggest that vampires couldn't exist without humans and they were doomed to decline. D repeats it to Count Lee and his daughter. However, this does _not_ follow the future novels in the series, in which it becomes clear that Dracula is not only still alive, but conducting countless immoral experiments on innocent humans, destroying them, to try and make the perfect human/vampire hybrid.

AKIRA NOTES: The manga of Akira told a vastly longer and more detailed version of the story than the anime presented. It would take too long to go through all of the subtlities, but here are some basics...

Akira was not a collection of cells in the manga, but a complete walking, breathing child. After Akira destroys Neo Tokyo about halfway through the series, the survivors form two different groups. Some go to an ex-experiment who is now a priestess named Lady Miyako, while the others go with Tetsuo, who sets himself and Akira up as gods and establishes the New Tokyo Empire. The rest of the plotline involves Miyako's plans to raise Tetsuo to the height of his power, so that Akira will absorb him when he performs his own great white flash and they will be rid of him. To that end, she eventually recruits Kei. Although early in the story, Kei is possessed by the three children and made to fight Tetsuo (like in the anime), she eventually willingly joins up with them, and they channel their powers into her. Kei delivers the final blow to the mutating Tetsuo that pushes him over the edge into performing his own white flash by targeting Lady Miyako with SOL while she stands right next to him.

A couple years ago, in an "East vs. West" section of an Anime magazine that pitted famous Japanese Anime characters against famous DC and Marvel comic characters, one of the fights was Tetsuo vs. Phoenix. Tetsuo lost pretty badly...and since then I tell everyone who I tell about that fight that if it was the Tetsuo from the manga, the fight would have been closer. In addition to having greater psychic powers in the manga than in the anime (at one point, Tetsuo blows away a large portion of the moon), Tetsuo's mental ability also made it nearly impossible to kill him due to his regeneration capabilities. Tetsuo is actually blown up into bloody chunks at one point, only to regrow from his own remains. Of course, one has to wonder if Tetsuo would be pit against the character Phoenix or someone imbued with the Phoenix Force, which possessed enough power to destroy a star system with ease (whereas Tetsuo had to exert some effort to shatter the moon).

The reference to drugs and bio-weapons deals with a moment in Akira #6. At that point, Tetsuo was already starting to mutate. A soldier shot him with a powerful bio-weapon nerve gas, but due to Tetsuo's power the weapon in effect only acted like a gigantic psychotropic drug, and Tetsuo actually returned to his human form for a few hours. However, his power ended up being somewhat retarded by this, as Kaneda found out when he was able to beat Tetsuo up with his bare hands.

See you next time:)


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